Inside Christie’s Upcoming Wallace Chan Exhibit

By Annie Davidson Watson | August 15, 2023

From Sept. 4 through 10, Christie’s presents artist Wallace Chan’s work (150 one-of-a-kind pieces) in an exhibit called “The Wheel of Time” in London.

Hailing from China, Chan began his journey as a sculptor and painter, but it was his profound fascination with gemstones that guided him toward an extraordinary path. Renowned for his exceptional skill in gemstone carving, he weaves together ancient traditions and modern innovation, fashioning masterpieces that captivate the eye and soul. “A deeply philosophical man, Wallace infuses his jewels with Oriental spiritualism,” said Christie’s Europe chairman, François Curiel. “This is the motif which he spends his entire creative life interpreting and reinterpreting, experimenting with endless combinations of gemstones, mediums, styles, aesthetics, and executed in his world-renowned techniques.”

Chan adds in a statement: “In the blink of an eye, half a century has flown by. I am humbled by the opportunity to present my largest exhibition in Europe at Christie’s in London. My heartfelt thanks go to Christie’s for supporting my creative journey throughout the years and across the globe. I am also grateful to my long-term collectors for loaning the pieces; without their friendship the exhibition would not be possible. Time is an eternal wheel that rotates for infinity with neither beginning nor end. In the creative process, time is a theme so intangible, yet omnificent.”

Below is a closer look at a few of the exhibition’s highlights.