Dr Yinglong Li

We are proud to present a very special Talking Practice event, in which Dr Yinglong Li, an alumni of the School of Jewellery’s doctoral programme, discusses the journey taken to master the traditional plique-a-jour enamel skills that sat at the heart of his doctoral research, as well as insights into his doctoral practice research itself. The talk takes place in the School of Jewellery's Lecture Theatre, followed by a glass of wine (or a soft drink) in the Atrium, afterwards. All are very welcome to join us.

Dr Yinglong Li

Yinglong Li is a practitioner and researcher in craft and design. Since 2007, he has been focusing on innovation and sustainable development of traditional metal crafts. To understand the current state of traditional metal techniques, he visited masters in different countries and minority areas to document and learn various techniques, particularly enamelling and filigree.

In 2019, he started his PhD journey at the School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University, with a focus on innovative research in the old and rare enamelling craft of plique-à-jour. During this time, he applied this traditional enamelling technique, combining the representative element 'Manchuria window' from his hometown's traditional architectures in Lingnan region with Impressionist painting techniques from the west, creating the I-PAJ series. This series has won multiple international awards, such as a gold award at the Goldsmiths Craft & Design Competition. In 2023, his works were permanently acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum and Durham University.

Meanwhile, Yinglong’s PhD research focuses on radical innovation in traditional plique-à-jour. After four years’ studying and supervision from his supervisory team and two renowned British enamel masters, Fred Rich and Jane Short, he created a new enamelling technique, which has been patented. His doctoral thesis has also been acquired by The Library of Goldsmiths' Company in London.

In this lecture, Yinglong will share his learning and working experiences, including the stories behind his artwork creation, the research process of innovating traditional plique-à-jour, and the happiness of teaching. He has always seen the innovation and sustainability of traditional crafts as his mission, and views enamel as a bonding that connects different cultures. In the context of cross-cultural research, Yinglong will explore with our audiences together how enamel can become a medium to connect various cultures and how to radically innovate traditional crafts.

Host or Publisher Research at CoJFT