Dionysian City is a project grounded in in-depth research and immersive fieldwork across London. I merge personal impressions with the cultural characteristics of various

neighbourhoods, translating them into a series of chain designs.

The resulting collection comprises three unique necklaces, each representing a specific piece of urban infrastructure or a

distinct district within the city. These symbolic forms allow her to transform the material and psychological texture of London into wearable narratives. Using jewellery as a medium

highlights often-overlooked corners of the city and invites the audience to rediscover their surroundings with renewed awareness and a sense of belonging.

The simple act of leaning against a wall to rest is an interaction between the body and the urban landscape. Traces of that contact, marks from the wall, fragments of concrete, are quietly

transferred onto our bodies. Each chain in this series possesses a distinct character, offering different sensations and identities, much like the diverse walls of London, each revealing its

personality through texture and surface. I selected walls that are both symbolically representative and personally significant to me, located in Regent’s Park, the Barbican, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. I used a Figaro chain, a Cable chain, and a Curb chain, respectively, to interpret each of these places.

Material choice is central to my conceptual language. By integrating elements of urban infrastructure and aesthetics into varied chain forms, I merge raw construction materials with

traditional metalworking techniques. I chose to create chains from concrete, with each piece featuring a different finish and colour, echoing the specific texture and emotional resonance of

its corresponding wall and added a small amount of Jesmonite to make the small concrete bits more durable. My work seamlessly merges digital design with traditional craftsmanship. I used 3D modelling to redesign the mould itself, allowing me to cast interlocking links without the need for adhesives or cutting, creating a seamless cable chain entirely from concrete. I believe

that while craftsmanship remains irreplaceable in contemporary jewellery practice, technology should be used to extend its possibilities, a dialogue between handmaking and digital innovation that lies at the heart of my creative vision.

Wearing these pieces evokes a psychological sensation of blending into the material and atmosphere of the site. This series of concrete chains celebrates the walls we have leaned on, marking moments of pause, contact, and overlooked intimacy with the city. Through this bodycentred perspective, I reimagine the language of the city. The jewellery becomes a series of micro-urban installations, intimate, tactile spaces that allow the wearer to physically and emotionally reconnect with their urban surroundings.

University: London College of Fashion

Course leader: Bernadette Deddens

Mingxuan Ma

Jewellery Designer

PROFILE

Mingxuan is a London-based jewellery designer born in Beijing, China. Her work explores the psychological tension and emotional intimacy between individuals and environments. With a background in fine art and product design, she engages with

material and structure as a language, using jewellery as a platform to transform overlooked urban textures into wearable narratives that reflect collective identity.

EXPERIENCE

“Fine Tuned” competition in association with Boodles, 2025, Winner

The annual Grymsdyke Farm summer school for the London Design Festival, 2025

London Design Week group exhibition in Blackdot Gallery, 2025

VONMO 5th Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition, 2026

EDUCATION

University of the Arts London, London College of Fashion— BA (Hons) Fashion

Jewellery

London, UK | 2022-2025

Jiangnan University— BA Product Design – Year 1 (Transferred)

Wuxi, China | 2020–2021