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Yu-hsin Chou is from Taipei, Taiwan. At CIA she goes by Audrey, a name she selected from a list offered by her English teacher back home.

How did you decide to come to CIA?

When I was in high school, I was thinking of coming to the United States, and started to research online to see what kind of school had the major I wanted. I typed in jewelry and metals and Cleveland Institute of Art showed up. I saw Professor Matthew Hollern’s video talking about how they’re working in the jewelry department, and how they combine digital technology with fine art and hand making.

In high school, I was already learning how to use Rhino software, and I wanted to combine it into my work, and I thought this is what CIA does.

What do you want to do after college?

I want to be a jewelry designer and also an artist. I can make my own products, but I can also make a production line. At CIA, I combine design things with art jewelry, so that art jewelry IS design, not just fine art.

When do you feel successful in your work at CIA?

When I print a part of my project through the makerbot and it’s successful. Right now, a lot of projects I do are with casting. I draw it through Rhino, model it, and print it in a castable resin. I cast it as a part of my work and solder it with my handmade part, and it becomes a fully finished product. And I think, oh, that is wonderful, I combined technology with the handmade.

What’s your favorite part of making work?

My favorite part is when it’s finished—the polishing and the finishing. I think the most important is when people see it and say, “Oh, I like it, and I want to have one.”