By incorporating into his jewelry—which features archetypal or symbolic forms—materials considered precious in his native China, such as tea, pearls, and jade, as well as, for example, coffee, which is widely consumed in Germany, where he lives, Zhipeng Wang explores the notions of identity and value, as well as the legitimacy we attribute to these precious materials once they are taken out of context. His Identity Ring, which fuses tea and coffee, is a perfect example of this exploration. In his “Heart of Ocean” brooches, with their simple, almost casual look, he blends mother-of-pearl and freshwater pearls, evoking a universal narrative imagination that has become popular, while simultaneously bringing to the surface something far deeper, more precious, and more intimate.
Other lands, other precious materials. Drawing on his rich cultural heritage and his experiences in Europe, Zhipeng Wang draws upon this cross-cultural repertoire of materials to explore his own questions of identity and to subtly reveal the socioeconomic forces that continue to fuel our fascination with these materials to this day.
Trained at the China Academy of Art and later at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Munich under the guidance of Karen Pontoppidan, Zhipeng Wang has gained international recognition. A rising star in the world of contemporary jewelry art, he has exhibited in more than ten countries and been selected twice for the prestigious Schmuck fair in Munich. He has just completed a residency at the DIVA Museum in Antwerp. His work has been honored with several major awards, including the Herbert Hofmann Prize (2026) and the Grand Prix of the BKV Prize (2024), and is held in public collections in China, Germany, and New Zealand.
Zhipeng exhibited at Hectare Galerie in the show Trois pièces en enfilade in 2025.
