At the Hong Kong Illustration and Creative Show 10, held on 20–21 December 2025, Wen Ching Yiu, also known as Krystine, presented a playful expansion of printmaking beyond the page. Her project explored how Risograph prints can move into the realm of wearable objects, transforming small printed works into one-of-a-kind necklaces and keychains.
Printmaking products are often confined to familiar formats such as paper prints, zines, tote bags, or T-shirts. Yiu’s approach questions those boundaries by asking how printed matter might become more intimate and more integrated into everyday life. For this project, she repurposed her small Risograph prints titled The B-liens as charms, combining them with colourful plastic beads and small frames to create wearable pieces.
The B-liens characters are rooted in the concept of the twelve archetypes inspired by Carl Jung, visually representing fundamental human experiences and behaviours. Each print features varied colour combinations, which Yiu carries through into the beads and materials used in the necklaces and keychains. The resulting objects are not only decorative, but also symbolic, with colour acting as a stand-in for emotion or aspects of the wearer’s inner self.
By merging Risograph printing with jewellery-making techniques, Yiu introduces a tactile and personal dimension to her print practice. The handmade nature of each piece ensures that no two items are the same, reinforcing the idea of prints as unique, living objects rather than static reproductions. The bright and fresh colour palettes further emphasise her playful visual language, while inviting interaction through wear.
The Hong Kong Illustration and Creative Show provided a fitting context for this experimentation. As a platform that brings together artists from illustration, animation, crafts, fine art, and creative design, the fair encourages cross-disciplinary thinking and direct engagement with audiences. Within this setting, Yiu’s wearable prints demonstrated how printmaking can evolve into new forms that are both functional and expressive.
Based in Hong Kong, Wen Ching Yiu works across printmaking, illustration, and experimental graphic design. Her practice draws on personal memory and embraces imperfection through processes such as Risograph and screen printing. This project continues that exploration by positioning print not only as something to look at, but as something to carry, wear, and live with.
