Chelsea van Zyl began her journey as a sculptor at Leeds Arts University, but found herself stuck when her graduation show was cancelled in lockdown. Wanting to find a way to share her work with the world, the 25-year-old artist turned her hand to jewellery making. She told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I started looking at smaller ways of producing artwork that I could be able to do from home, and all my projects have always been based around the body. I decided to make wearables that were shaped like the body and fit naturally in that sense. I started making the jewellery, and then pretty quickly I posted it on my Instagram for sale.” Finding quick success online thanks to the remarkable individuality of her pieces, Chelsea began shaping her own brand, Yips Or No Freedom, launching a website soon after to sell her designs. “It just took off,” Chelsea said. “I put out an initial ten sets, and I think people interpreted that as things were quite limited. I think that built up interest because people knew they were either going to buy it, or they weren't going to be able to again.” As Yips Or No Freedom grew, Chelsea stayed true to her background as a sculptor, casting from different materials and carving by hand to subvert the traditionally replicative nature of creating jewellery. "I think jewellery traditionally is made to be completely perfect, highly polished and flawless,” Chelsea added. “It's a word that's often used in jewellery: flawless. I wanted to make jewellery that was more realistic and representative of the wearer, something with flaws and character. "The process of how the jewellery is made is evidenced on the surface of it. The freckles on the rings are a product of the molten silver and the sand meeting in the cast, and that's a moment in each piece that’s completely unique.” As interest in her brand grew, Chelsea found herself working with the likes of fashion magazines Vanity Fair and Nylon France to feature her jewellery in photoshoots. Yet despite the excitement surrounding her success, the rapid nature of her ascension did leave her feeling overwhelmed. She said: “I didn't expect it to become what it did, and I was a bit taken aback. As an independent maker I've really struggled with imposter syndrome, and I still feel really surprised when people show interest in my work despite it being a huge part of the way I make my living now. "I've produced work for artists to wear in music videos and to festivals like Glastonbury, I've had people wear my stuff for photoshoots in Nylon France and Vanity Fair, and it definitely feels pretty strange!” With a whole host of achievements under her belt in such a short time, it’s no wonder Chelsea has become an inspiration to budding jewellery makers in the city. “Everybody I looked up to who was doing something professionally was pretty clueless at some point,” she laughed. “And they're actually a lot more clueless now than you think they are. Success is performative and if things are going well for you, you should believe it as much as you can.”
