Style Edit: Cindy Chao’s Amour Butterfly brooch had its first public showcase at Hong Kong’s Opera Gallery – why the Black Label Masterpieces collection piece is a symbol of enduring friendship
- Taiwanese jeweller Cindy Chao’s 2009 Royal Butterfly brooch is a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the United States
- The 2023 Black Label Masterpiece I Amour Butterfly brooch, featuring two overlaying butterflies, took 15,000 hours to create over five years of love and labour
Since she founded her eponymous label in 2004, Cindy Chao has garnered global recognition as one of the greatest jewellery artists of all time. The Taiwanese jeweller’s architectural, sculptural and organic collections are highly sought after by collectors and have graced the halls of some of the world’s most esteemed cultural institutions and museums, including Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Last month Cindy Chao The Art Jewel held its highly anticipated 2023 Annual Butterfly Exhibition, titled “Meld in Light and Shade”, at the prestigious Opera Gallery in Hong Kong. This stunning exhibition allowed guests to completely immerse themselves in the enchanting world of Cindy Chao while highlighting her latest creations including three Black Label Masterpieces that have been inducted into the permanent collections of prominent international museums.
Taking centre stage was the crowning jewel of the 10th Annual Butterfly, the 2023 Black Label Masterpiece I Amour Butterfly brooch, which was showcased to the public for the first time. This piece was specially created by Chao for a collector couple she has known for 20 years and is a symbol of their enduring friendship.
Together with a team of European master craftsmen, it took 15,000 hours over five years to create this exquisite piece, which features two overlaying butterflies united as one. The overlapping butterfly wings are crafted to create a three-dimensional and graceful shape, merging boundless imagination with the beauty of nature, and challenging the multiple transformations between light and shadow.
Captivating videos were played to showcase the artistic mastery and meticulous craftsmanship behind the Amour Butterfly brooch, while a team of international experts from Belgium designed and created a levitating display case. This created the illusion of the brooch being magically suspended in mid-air, gracefully dancing to music. This surreal spectacle perfectly captured the ethereal essence of a butterfly in motion.
Chao’s Annual Butterfly brooches have become the most iconic Black Label Masterpieces, and embody the artist’s ongoing metamorphosis, and the brand’s continuous evolution. With the hands of a sculptor and the mind of an architect, Chao created the Amour Butterfly to embody the ultimate expression of her savoir faire.