About this Event
Join us for an evening of conversation with the curators about the materials and processes behind the artists’ work, with light refreshments.
Lacquer and stone are materials defined by time. Their transformation unfolds through patience, repetition, and sustained attention. "Slow Matter" brings together eight contemporary jewelry artists who work with lacquer or stone as the foundation of their practices. Shaped by material knowledge and historical lineage, each artist brings materiality to the forefront as a reflective practice within today’s fast-moving society. The exhibition reveals the expanded potential of lacquer and stone in contemporary jewelry, exploring the preservation of tradition while extending its boundaries through form, process, and meaning.
Participating artists:
Craig McIntosh | Heejoo Kim | Lynn Batchelder | Miki Asai | Misato Seki | Rho Tang | Youzhi Bi | Zhipeng Wang
Co-Curators:
Rho Tang is a Chinese American jewelry artist based in Beacon, NY. Working primarily with natural lacquer, she explores femininity as a vessel for memory, inheritance, and lived experience. She has exhibited internationally, including at Legnica’s 33rd International Jewellery Competition (2025), LOOT at the Museum of Arts and Design (2021), Art Jewellery Night Budapest (2020), Gioielli in Fermento (2020), and JOYA Barcelona (2019). Her work was selected for Schmuck IHM (2025).
Zhipeng Wang is a Chinese contemporary jewelry artist whose practice draws on China’s material cultural heritage. Working with materials such as tea and jade, he explores identity, memory, and materiality. His honors include the Herbert Hofmann Prize (2026), BKV-Prize Grand Prize (2024), Montebello Award First Prize (2024), and Preziosa Young Winner’s Prize (2021). His works are collected by Auckland Museum, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau, and the Museum of Design and Fashion Lisbon
NYCJW26: November 16–22, 2026
Each November, NYC Jewelry Week presents The Week, a seven-day celebration of jewelry and the people, ideas, and craftsmanship behind it. NYCJW26 brings together a global audience for a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual experiences across New York City and beyond.
Explore the full , featuring exhibitions, shopping experiences, retail collaborations, talks, panels, workshops, demonstrations, tours, and more. Virtual programs will be streamed on YouTube, while in-person events offer opportunities to engage directly with artists, designers, curators, collectors, and other members of the jewelry community.
With many programs free and open to the public, NYC Jewelry Week invites everyone—from longtime jewelry enthusiasts to those just beginning to explore the field—to discover the artistry, ideas, histories, and craftsmanship that make jewelry so compelling.
Join us for NYCJW26, November 16–22, 2026.
Event venue & nearby stays
Fou Gallery, 89 5th Avenue, New York, United States
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