Born in Guangdong province in Southern China, Ray Salenteya’s birth name is Lin Ziliang, but a life-long interest in the mysteries of sorcerers and Nordic mythology has resulted in his name change. Salenteya, he explains, means ‘the one who earns his power and blessing from the sun’.
The millennial jewellery artist was initially drawn to fashion - inspired by his grandfather, Chang Tai-lin, a painter and famous art photographer in his time whose evocative images of his travels in Europe in the 1970s featured chic young women framed in cultural settings. Although he knew little about fashion, surrounded by these photographs the young Salenteya recognised this is where his future would lie. After a brief spell at design school, he opened his couture atelier in Beijing seven years ago creating a distinctive style that was quickly adopted by Chinese celebrities. This has led him into the world of jewellery producing avant-garde designs created to accompany his grand evening gowns and flamboyant masculine tailoring.