Hailing from Beijing, Ying Feng is a jewellery designer who embodies high-society elegance. Fusing classic and contemporary style, her distinctive designs transcend time and trends. And now for the first time, people in Dubai were able to see her beautiful creations at an exclusive exhibition Pearls & Jewels held at the Kris restaurant in Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel Dubai on May 29. Scott Butcher, General Manager, Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel Dubai, said, “We are eager to support any form of art. Ms Ying Feng is an outstanding designer who works with natural stones and pearls. She combines unparalleled craftsmanship with oriental elegance to produce absolutely unique pieces and we were glad to showcase her works exclusively to our guests.” Ying’s exquisite pieces instantly appeal to all ages and nationalities. On display at the Kris restaurant was a fabulous selection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings and brooches made from pearls, precious and semi-precious gems and natural stones. Ying said, “I am truly grateful to the Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel for giving me the opportunity to exhibit my works at the Kris restaurant that made for a dream setting given its oriental character and spectacular views.” Born into a family of artists, Ying was educated in the strict Chinese tradition. In 1997, she gave up a high-flying job to pursue her dream of discovering art and nature. Her love of art led her to the internationally acclaimed artist Zhu Peijiang who is descendant and disciple of none other than the famous One. Soon Ying joined the Chinese Military Museum of Qingdao Submarine Jade as an assistant curator. During this period, she had the opportunity to learn and look at art differently. At the same time she organised and participated in many unique art exhibitions and activities happening at the museum. This gave her invaluable insight and understanding of traditional Chinese art. Ying recalls, “From an early age Mr Zhu was deeply interested in nature. In 1986, he amassed a huge collection of stones by the sea in his hometown of QingDao. Local people thought he was insane but behind it was a unique sense of creativity that revolved around nature. In the hope of getting people to understand his passion, he carved sculptures and jewellery out of stones. The idea was to portray nature as precious. It was only ten years later that people began to realize the value of sea stone. Zhu PeiJiang was instrumental in establishing QingDao Submarine Jade Museum and became China’s largest submarine jade collectors and I am proud to have been one of his disciples.” Ying treasures every moment spent at QingDao Submarine Jade Museum. It’s here that she discovered the mysterious, deep dark green submarine jade. Her soul was touched by each one of these nature’s masterpieces. She says, “I felt like a mermaid who was attracted to the spectacular underwater jewels. I played and danced with art and with every step grew my respect and love for nature bringing me closer to its many delightful surprises”. Ying believes that nature is spiritual while human beings are the most beautiful and intelligent species on earth, and when the two come together it leads to magic. Her lust for nature and adventure took Ying to many different countries around the world where she discovered with her children the planet’s many secrets. She played with turtles along the seaside picking up shells, telling stories about the sea pearl’s origin to her little girls, admiring the beautiful stones and marveling at the stunning sunsets. In 2005, Ying went to Qingdao to introduce her husband, who is from Germany, to her mentor and teacher Mr Zhu. And during this visit her fascination for stones and nature was once again reignited and she took to designing jewellery creating fairytale collections which will now go on display for the first time in Dubai at Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel Dubai. Ying looks to nature for themes of her collections that appeal to both connoisseurs and commoners. “I design my jewellery with nature in mind”, she says. “Pearls are timeless. No other gem has been so loved, for so long, by so many. China has got vast and diverse watersheds that provide excellent breeding areas for oysters. In the South, our waters are just the right temperature and salinity for oysters to grow large pearls over a long period of time. And I am eager to give every woman the pleasure to enjoy a beautiful piece of jewellery that’s natural, authentic, elegant and yet affordable.”