The sharp pop of a balloon can be startling, even terrifying. For Junru Erin, that childhood fear became the unlikely seed of her artistic journey. Long before she started to work with metal and gemstones, Junru began with paint and illustration. Originally from Guangzhou, China, and now based in London, her path has taken her from the page to the body, from two-dimensional images to tactile, sculptural forms.

After studying BA Fashion Jewellery at the London College of Fashion and later completing her MA in Applied Imagination at Central Saint Martins in 2024, Junru has emerged as a contemporary jewellery artist whose work fuses playfulness with profound empathy. Her jewellery is a language of storytelling: personal feelings and memories distilled into vibrant, touchable art. With techniques such as wax carving, press forming, and chasing, she transforms metal and silicone into unusual, colourful companions - objects that are as humorous and bright as they are deeply human.

For Shine 2025, Junru presents Balloon Companion Collection, reimagining childhood phobia as something to embrace rather than fear. Inspired by her early terror of bursting balloons, she has turned fragility into resilience, fear into character. These balloon-inspired creations - sometimes wearable, sometimes sculptural - invite their wearers to cradle their own vulnerabilities with curiosity and play, like an earplug with a balloon attached, or a brooch capturing the exact moment of a balloon’s burst. Characters like Burstie embody this transformation: joyful, odd, and protective, like companions made to guard against the very fears they represent.

Chosen for Shine 2025, the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s annual showcase of emerging talent, Junru Erin brings her unique vision to a wider audience. In Junru’s hands, something once frightening becomes whimsical, precious, and even celebratory. Her work suggests that phobia need not isolate us, but can instead open a space for empathy, connection, and even joy. Read on to explore Junru’s story in her own words, and discover the inspirations and processes behind her Balloon Companion Collection.

Creative Journey: From Canvas to Craft

'After I moved to London, I started my journey in jewellery making. Before becoming a maker, I was actually a painter and illustrator. I have always felt a strong connection with craft and design, so I tried to find my own way to express my creativity. I loved exploring different materials and combining media in my illustrations. As I became more familiar with craftsmanship, I realised how exciting it could be to make something wearable, but also sculptural at the same time.

So, after moving to London, I pursued a fashion jewellery course. I was always in artistic environments, with many makers around me, which kept my passion alive. Besides studying jewellery at the London College of Fashion, I also took short courses in workshops back in my hometown. I have a partner who is much more experienced than me, as she started her career earlier, and I also work with her so that we can learn and grow together.'

Transforming Fear into Jewellery

'My design style has a lot of playfulness and humour. I look for inspiration in my own experiences, and often go back to my childhood. I find it interesting to bring unexpected stories into my work. For example, phobias can be an unusual but exciting theme, when woven into something playful.

For many people, balloons feel positive, but when I was a child, I was scared of them. Although I’m fine with balloons now, I thought it would be interesting to take this fear and transform it into something unique. I capture the moment of a balloon burst as a design element, turning it into something playful and full of character. Some of my pieces are little ‘characters’ themselves - one is called Burstie, where the colourful balloon fragments are transformed into one of my close friends to celebrate the moment of “fear” together, and another is Balloon Monster where the burst balloon shell acts like protective house with a friendly monster hidden inside, representing the phobia. In this way, the balloon phobia becomes a kind of companion for me in the collection.'

'I like making connections between objects and my own memories, and jewellery feels like my way of expressing myself as an artist. By showing how I’ve embraced my fear of balloons, I hope to create a space for people to reflect on their own phobias. Many people have fears, and I want them to see how these can be played with and transformed into something less negative.'

From Burst Balloons to Wearable Companions

'In my design process, I’m inspired by sculptural forms and textures. For this collection, I wanted people to really relate to the balloon and its associations with fear. Before I started designing, I revisited my childhood by creating small performances - like putting gemstones inside balloons and popping them - to connect the balloon to jewellery and explore how it could become wearable.

The collection is made up of 11 pieces: most are jewellery, with two statement pieces. By combining materials such as silicone and metal, I capture the softness of balloons through the hardness of metal, transforming something playful and familiar into objects that feel both precious and companion-like.'

'Each piece has its own story. For example, I designed a series of trophy-shaped works inspired by the knot of a balloon. By repeating and linking balloon knots together, I created a protective shell with movement. I turned the balloon knots into trophies to celebrate the courage of confronting a phobia and transforming it into something playful. I also created a large sculptural Balloon Companion piece out of silicone for people to engage with.

My favourite pieces are the Burstie brooches, which come in two different colours. In these, I captured the burst balloon and transformed it into small, fun characters - like little creatures that feel like companions.'

Shine 2025 and Looking Ahead

'It definitely means a lot to me to be chosen for Shine 2025. I feel it’s an incredible opportunity, especially as a graduate, and it’s amazing to showcase my collection to the world. Shine has also given me lots of practical advice, and it’s incredible to learn from other participants, makers, and industry experts.

I am very much looking forward to the pop-up showcase at Shine. I’ve never done anything like this before, so it feels like a precious opportunity to not just display my work, but be able to talk about the stories behind each piece. It’s also exciting to meet people who might relate to my ideas and to connect with other makers. I know it will be an unforgettable experience, and I will learn a lot from it.'