Curator
For 2019, we were able to recruit Dr. Sabine Runde, art historian, who has been curating exhibitions on jewellery and arts and crafts for over 30 years as head curator of the Museum of Applied Arts in Frankfurt, to make the selection from more than 760 applications from 52 countries. A total of 65 participants from 22 countries were invited for 2019.
“Filled with great curiosity, it is captivating for me as a curator to become aware of this abundance of realised concepts and to feel the energy of the ideas that are articulated as jewellery.” – Dr. Sabine Runde
Winners of the Herbert-Hofmann-Prize 2019
Junwon Jung, Korea
At first glance, Junwon Jung’s high-precision objects seem resistant. Their organic feel does not invite you to touch them. If you lift them up, take them in your hand, they start to move. They open and sometimes disintegrate into individual parts, revealing the hidden way in which the jewellery is worn. Playful and experimental, these pieces of jewellery can be worn in different ways. If you then put them back on the table, they return to a unity of packaging, box and the jewellery hidden inside.
Misato Seki, Japan
The three simple long stick brooches by Misato Seki were an absolute novelty for all the judges. They trigger a contemplative, concentrated gaze. The finely structured sheen and subtle colour gradient of the surface create depth and the impression of elongated slit-shaped windows that open up a view into another dimension. This creates a surprising connection between a minimalist geometric shape and the person wearing the piece of jewellery.
Yutaka Minegishi, Japan
Yutaka Minegishi’s rings are carved from a single solid block of material. They are both geometric and organic at the same time. From the circular shape of the ring, he develops a monolithic-looking head. The dynamics of the form are created by the gradual twisting and turning of the material. As a result, the rings lose the coldness of the geometry and they accommodate the human body. Gold and amber live from their colour and their specific luster. The opacity of the gold contrasts with the transparency of the amber, allowing us to see through Yutaka Minegishi’s rings for the first time in these works.
Winner of the Bavarian State Prize 2019
Melanie Isverding, Germany
Melanie Isverding is a goldsmith who completed an academic degree after training as a craftswoman. Since 2014 she has been an assistant in the goldsmith class at Burg Giebichenstein, Kunsthochschule Halle. She has consistently and fully developed her path as a goldsmith. Her pieces of jewellery are masterpieces of craftsmanship and artistry. She received the Bavarian State Prize for a group of three brooches made of glass, silver and silk. A fine textile structure made of self-woven silver silk is integrated into a geometric frame construction made of coloured, opaque glass.
