Contemporary Eastern Aesthetics

Since the 1880s, Western aesthetic movements have profoundly shaped the visual language of contemporary jewelry. By comparison, Eastern jewelry design, rooted in thousands of years of cultural heritage, can appear overly traditional and difficult to integrate into contemporary styles of dress.

As modern Eastern individuals, we are deeply rooted in a rich and enduring cultural heritage. Could we create a new aesthetic language—one that carries the spirit of the East, yet transcends the conventions of the past?

In 2014, founder Julian Tan set out to create contemporary Eastern jewelry that carries tradition forward without being traditional. Together with interdisciplinary artist Arista Lee, he founded LUMIN GARDEN, an art jewelry brand dedicated to redefining Eastern aesthetics through a contemporary lens.

Drawing inspiration from calligraphy, ink painting, and sculpture, Arista distilled three distinctive artistic principles—"Rhythm & Flow", "Void & Form", and "Gesture"—which became the creative foundation of LUMIN GARDEN, infusing the brand with a distinctly Eastern aesthetic language.