Sampler | Lin Cheung – In The Gallery at Brooklyn Metal Works

Sampler | Lin Cheung

Opening in the Gallery at Brooklyn Metal Works on Friday April 4th, 7 PM. On view from April 4th - June 1st . We will also be hosting an artist talk with Lin Cheung on April 11th at 7 PM.

Lin Cheung is a jewelry artist from London. She graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewelry. She is the Senior Reader in Jewelry and Final Year leader on the BA Jewelry Design course at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.

Sampler is a curation of new and recent jewelry by Lin Cheung, exhibiting for the first time in New York.

2025 marks 10 years of gemstone carving for the artist, and the show includes examples of well-known pieces such as the ‘Delayed Reaction’ series of carved stone brooches and a ‘Pearl Chain’ necklace that is an echo of the original chain carved from a pearl necklace her mother gave to her. ‘Glam Rock’ rings make their Brooklyn debut with activation dates that will invite visitors to bring their own favorite nail lacquer to paint a ring and try it on.

Lin’s jewelry is often minimalistic, pared back, that comments on and reinvents familiar jewelry forms and materials to reflect her own sense and relevance of wearing jewelry today. Themes that recur in her work are on value and identity, societal change, the pearl, political pin badges, personalization and customization of jewelry and a reinterpretation of the materials used in jewelry.

Current research has led to a fascination with synthetic and lab created gem materials such as cubic zirconia and moissanite. Experimental carving of diamond simulants has resulted in ‘sampler’ pieces that either exploit the properties of the material or carve against the nature of the material. Diamond simulants are equally as beautiful to the eye as their natural counterparts and were lab created to match or, in most cases, exceed the refractive index of natural diamond - the amount of light the material can reflect back through a cut gemstone, in other words: its sparkle.

Sampler also refers to a jewelry artist sampling the materials and techniques of their own lapidary craft, small experiments that hover between a test and a possibility, on the journey towards a new piece of jewelry.

Artist Statement

“As I walk along the edge of a dirt road, cold air seeps through my clothing, traveling the length of my body. With eyes wide, I stay attuned to my surroundings: pressed grass, thawing puddles, and layers of sediment beneath my feet. I imagine what lies below the surface, down to the earth’s core.

Circling the yard, my mind begins to drift. I close my eyes and feel the wind brush across my skin. The air is damp and sweet, scented with flowers and wet earth; I breathe it in deeply. In that moment, I feel grounded in the rhythm of early spring.

On a summer walk, I notice fallen pine needles beside green shoots, a subtle reminder that decay and renewal coexist. These quiet encounters affirm that I am alive and part of the natural cycles unfolding around me.

Walking encourages me to pause, observe, and absorb the natural world. My practice is rooted in experimentation, contemplation, and a commitment to slow, deliberate processes that reflect these everyday experiences. The jewelry and objects I create are just one part of a broader, more holistic practice—one of observing, making, and unmaking.” - Jolynn Santiago