Back to work her magic the super creative Sheung Mei Liu
Formart bedazzles our new Ac podium with 9,800 individual crystals.
Featured in our special ACE issue for the 28th Annual ACE Awards
A true visionary, Liu did in fact add a significant amount of bling to a double decker bus in 2018. One of her largest commissions to date, the project tapped five artists and 350,000 individual Swarovski crystals over the course of a month to complete the design.
You could say it all started with an admiration of 80s jewelry design icon Wendy Gell, who was known for her elaborate, bold and colorful creations. Gell’s influence led Liu to design a pair of crystal earrings, the success of which led to the creation of The Bellini Collection, a line of crystal jewelry. But as the demand for big stones dwindled, Liu moved her design efforts into smaller, flat-back crystals. That was nearly 35 years ago, and today — literally millions of crystals later — Liu and her company FormArt are known as the go-to experts when something needs to get blinged. Like a bus. Or a basketball.
This level of bling has been a learning experience, says Liu, who became frustrated when crystals would pop off some of her early creations. Not
one to give up, she began to experiment and test new application methods, ultimately developing a series of proprietorial practices that led to enhanced durability and longevity for her designs. “Every surface must be carefully evaluated,” she explains. “Is the surface textured or smooth? Flat or round? What is it made of? Depending on the item, there is an exact science to picking the right glues and order of application to attach the stones.”
Working exclusively with Swarovski crystals, Liu and her team are a trusted partner of the brand and often co-create products or work on official prototypes. Demand for her work is high, and her proficiency renowned, so she eventually shuttered The Bellini Collection to work full-time on designs and embellishments for others.
The FormArt New York City-based team of artists each glue between 2,000 and 3,000 individual crystals a day. “Every piece we create is made by hand and to excel, they must approach each piece like a work of art,” she says. “Anyone I hire must have a background in art or design, and perseverance, as It can take up to 3 years of experience to be able to work independently.”
Most of her team of 20 has been with her for over 10 years and in the course of a year, handle more crystals than anyone else in the United States. The FormArt office is an extraordinary “crystal museum” filled with sparkling tubs of Vaseline, Moet & Chandon Champagne bottles, fragrance bottles, skateboard decks, NFL and NBA balls, and a life-sized wall trophy shark.
Each item is covered in an array of sparkling colorful crystals. FormArt has had their work featured in the windows of Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, and the Museum of Chinese History in New York. Products have been done for all kinds of events including beauty pageants, presidential inaugurations and celebrity parties.
They have developed new ways to bling a photograph to life and have even embellished working trumpets and saxophones. Even the stapler in her office has been blinged by the FormArt team. Whether it’s a gift item, an award, or a piece of art, if you can imagine it, the FormArt team can bling it.
Why not see for yourself? Liu invites you to make an appointment to meet them in person.