Xiaoyu Li (b. 1998, China) is a contemporary jewellery artist and maker based in London, specialising in stone carving and Jin Yin Cuo (gold and silver inlay). Her artistic journey began with childhood training in painting, providing a meticulous foundation for her creative practice. With over 9 years of professional experience across China and the United Kingdom, her practice examines how material and technique carry geocultural specificity. Through carving into stone and embedding precious metal, she engages directly with the material, reactivating these traditions within a contemporary context. Jewellery becomes a site where geocultural narratives and hybrid identities take shape.
Li’s works have been featured in Marie Claire, ELLE, BAZAAR, CHINA GEMS, London Craft Week, Munich Jewellery Week and London Fashion Week. In a rare achievement, Li was twice honoured with the Gold Award in Lapidary & Carving at the GC&DC Awards (2025-2026). In 2026, she received the Gem-A Award, embarking on advanced gemmological training with The Gemmological Association of Great Britain.
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Education |
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2021-2023 |
MA, Royal College of Art, Jewellery & Metal. |
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2017-2021 |
BA, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Jewellery Design. |
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Award |
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2026 |
One for the Future Award, Gold Award, NYC Jewelry Week, USA. |
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Gem-A Award,The Gemmological Association of Great Britain, Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council, UK. Gold Award, Lapidary & Carving (Junior), Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards, UK. |
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2025 |
Gold Award, Lapidary & Carving (Junior), Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards, UK. |
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2024 |
Winner, Gorgeous Jewellery Award, Gorgeous Jewellery 1.0 Contemporary art exhibition, awarded by China Industrial Design Institute, Tongji University, JCC Center, China. |
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2020 |
Merit Award, Hua Cai International Design Competition, awarded by Changle County Government, China. |
EXHIBITIONS & COLLABORATION
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2026 |
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March |
Things Unsaid, Munich Jewellery Week, 4-7th March, Precious Collective, Pistachios Gallery, Munich, Germany. The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards Exhibition 2026, March 25-28, Birmingham Assay Office, Birmingham, UK. |
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2025 |
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November |
Puyuan International Biennale of Contemporary Jewellery Art and Design, 22 November, Jianxing, China. |
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October |
2025 Beijing International Jewelry Art Exhibition, He Guang Tong Sheng, October 18 2025 - 30 May 2026, Beijing, China. |
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August |
Inflow contemporary jewellery exhibition, 30 August - 19 September, Budapest, Hungry. |
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July |
The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards Summer Exhibition 2025, 02 Jul 2025 - 11 Sep 2025, The Goldsmiths' Centre, London, UK. |
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May |
London Craft Week 2025, Tiangong Kaiwu: Crafting Works of Nature, China Pavilion for London, 13-18 May, London, UK. |
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April |
Doing Jewellery contemporary art exhibition, JCC Center, L’AVENUE Shanghai, April 5-July 6, Shanghai, China. |
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March |
The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards Exhibition 2025, March 4-7, London, Goldsmith Hall, UK. The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards Exhibition 2025, March 26-27, Birmingham Assay Office, Birmingham, UK. |
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2024 |
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December |
Frontières International contemporary art jewellery exhibition, Plus Trois, Paris, France. Cluster Contemporary Art Jewellery Fair 2024, London, UK. |
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November |
A Poem to be Worn, Jinjing Gallery, November 2024 – March 2025, Shanghai China. |
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October |
Romanian Jewelry week 2024, Bucharest, Romania. |
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August |
Youtopia Fair 2024, Labelhood, Shanghai, China. Gorgeous Jewellery 1.0 Contemporary Art Jewellery exhibition, JCC Center, Tongji University, China Industrial Design Institute, Shanghai, China. |
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June |
Design Shanghai 2024, Shanghai, China. |
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May |
London Craft Week 2024, Crafted Elegance: A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation, Blackdot Gallery, London, UK. |
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2023 |
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September |
Runway, wearable art collaboration with Randy Chi Ho Wong, London Fashion Week 2023, London, UK. |
PRESS
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2025 |
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June |
An Appointment with Objects – Reflections on the Art of Making, China Gems Magazine, feature article, May–June 2025, print only, China. |
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January |
Xiaoyu Li: Contemporary Art in Jade Carving A Canvas For Cultural Hybridity, Our Culture Magazine, artist interview & review, online article, UK. |
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2024 |
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December |
Exploring Cultural Hybridity: Interpreting Identity in Multiculturalism, Qianlong.com, artist interview & review, online article, China. |
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November |
Interpreting Contemporary Art Through Serpentine Jade, Ta Kung Pao, artist interview & review, online article, China. |
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October |
BAZAAR Jewelry, October issue, print only, artist review, China. Romania Jewelry Week 2024: How Li Xiaoyu's Works Spark Cultural Dialogue, Artron Art, artist interview & review, online article, China. |
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September |
ELLE Romanian, September issue, print only, artist review, Romania. |
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May |
London Craft Week 2024 special edition, Blackdot Gallery, artist interview & review, Online & print publication, UK. |
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January |
Marie Chire China, January issue, artist interview & review, print only, China. Finding New Possibilities for Traditional Jewelry in the Cultural Hybridity Pot of Exotic Lands, VONMO, artist interview, online article, China. Innovation of Traditional Jewelry in Contemporary Jewellery Field, artist interview, online article, Klimt02, China. |