How did your artistic journey start?
When I was a kid I loved to make my own crafts and I always liked to accessorise myself, so it started around that time.

How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
My theme is about some innocent fantasies from my childhood and these ideas have always been inside my head. So when I had the ability to present them in the form of a work I started to create.

Can you walk us through your creative process?
My creative process tends to start with one or two main inspirations, I’ll make some sketches by hand and then start to make some small samples based on the look of the sketches. During the process of making the samples different directions are often explored, at which point I go on to choose the most suitable direction to create in a targeted way.

How has your practice changed over time?
I used to draw it out before I started working on it, and initially stayed with flat surfaces. Whereas now I’ll do more small samples and explore the work from a 3-D perspective as much as possible.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
I would choose to read or go to an exhibition and then sort my thoughts out properly.

Who influences you? Which other artists work do you love? 
I really like Helen Britton, her understanding and expression of her work is very inspirational. Especially the FEELING LUCKY collection. Also I really like Kim Buck’s work.

What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
Be experimental and don’t be afraid that your current idea isn’t perfect. Keep a record of your ideas.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your work or your experiences as an artist?
My work is always expressing itself, some subtle emotion or feeling. So I hope people can resonate with it.

You can see more of Shiqi’s work on Instagram @shiqi_jewellery

Our Winter Show, Warm Voices, runs at Six Foot Gallery until 9 January 2024.