We first met Chi Lee at Granville Island, where she’s become a local legend. Her pieces sit somewhere between sculpture and storytelling, shaped by a design sensibility that moves easily between Eastern and Western influences. They often start with simple lines, and end up carrying a lot more feeling than you’d expect.

We visited Chi at her West Vancouver studio to talk reworking heirloom jewelry, collecting materials over decades, and why she still likes not totally knowing what a piece will become when she sits down at the bench.

Q: You trained at Parsons and later worked in high-end jewelry. When did you start to feel your own point of view take shape?

A: In the summer of my Junior year at Parsons, I had already started making jewelry and creating my own designs to sell at juried arts festivals across the USA. I was awarded the Best of Show prize that summer at the Art Fair on the Square in Madison, WI, which was hosted by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. That was some 40+ years ago and that same festival is still going strong! The only reason I had to stop selling my own jewelry line was that I was in a serious car accident right after graduation. I had to put everything on hold and after getting married, we needed a steady income to pay off our mortgage (typical life story) so I entered the commercial jewelry trade. 

I very much enjoyed working at the House of Harry Winston. I learnt a lot more about jewelry design and marketing, and also loved enveloping myself in luxurious stones and materials that I previously could only encounter in my dreams. This experience allowed me to recognize that I really wanted to design and make distinct jewelry that people can enjoy and wear everyday. That luxury jewelry is not confined to just special occasions or strictly confined to the safe deposit box!

Q: You describe your work as East meets West. How does your cultural background show up in your designs?

My designs are often based on simple elements, and incorporate Asian aesthetics such as ‘less is more’ and the exposition of negative spaces used in traditional Chinese watercolour paintings. The cultural interplay is intrinsic in my artistic expression. For instance, in my Woven Thoughts collection, which was created some 40 years ago, my original technical idea was to merge weaving techniques with the feel of flowing metals. However, my customers nonetheless artistically interpret chinese calligraphy elements from these designs.

In my more recently-developed Sea to Sky collection, which was so named because it expresses the natural scenery of my surroundings on the North Shore of Vancouver,  my use of white Dendritic Opals with distinct patterns expressed by their black and grey inclusions resemble my father’s Chinese water color paintings or traditional Chinese ink calligraphy.

Q: You often repurpose heirloom pieces for clients. What is it like holding something that already carries history and turning it into something new?

A: It’s exciting to meet each client and share their touching stories and histories associated with each legacy piece, even if it is broken or unwearable. I’m blessed to be part of their journey to create something that can be worn again as a unique heirloom, a celebration of something new, or a legacy piece that can be passed on to another generation. Each individual piece of repurposed jewelry is a reminder of past relationships, associations and emotional bridges. But most importantly, hope for the future that draws from a personal past.  

Q: Nature seems to play a role in your work. What does a walk outside give you creatively?

A: I think the smell, feel and touch of nature that surrounds me nurture my creativity. It’s not like I have to replicate nature, but translating the very sense of emotions that I gather into my jewelry designs represents my most challenging reward.  As an artist, I’m a story teller and translator for Mother Nature.

Q: How would you describe your personal style? Any items in your closet you can’t live without?

A: I think my personal style is comfort and simple design.  Easy layering and basic colors that can be changed to adapt to each season.  I love wearing a red linen blouse in spring or summer and a red sweater for the winter!

Q: What feels exciting right now? Any materials, shapes or stories you want to explore next?

A: For the past 40 plus years of making jewelry, I have been living and travelling to different parts of the world.  I love collecting different stones from all over the place, especially old jade pieces that I have amassed too much of in my material drawers. I’m excited that I can create pieces that speak to me.  I often go through an iterative process of pulling out my collections of stones, where they then sit on my bench for a while until a certain thought crystallizes and inspires me to turn them into pendants, rings or something special. Circular, square or triangle are often the shapes that attract me. I can never predict each time I sit down at my bench what mental process occurs. This uncertainty and spontaneity is the reason why I still love creating jewelry.

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