Curator
Chequita Nahar, herself a jewellery designer and dean at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Maastricht, the Netherlands, has been appointed curator of SCHMUCK 2020. From 802 applications from 61 countries, she selected a total of 63 jewellery artists from 29 countries.
Her selection had a personal meaning: “In 2018, my teacher and friend Marjan Unger died and I decided to dedicate my selection for the show to her.” Chequita Nahar wanted the pieces of jewellery to touch her in a special way.
Winners of the Herbert-Hofmann-Prize 2020
Melanie Isverding, Germany
Melanie Isverding’s large-format necklace jewellery with palladium-coated circular discs captivates with its very sophisticated graphic reduction and exciting composition. The finely coordinated black tones of the ebony frame, the woven cotton field and the blackened silver hanger contrast with the circular discs, which could be interpreted as celestial bodies. They suggest the movement of planets. Reference is made to Greek mythology in the examination of weaving processes. The creation of textile fabrics is seen as a metaphor for the emergence of thought patterns, stories and a way of looking at the world.
Carla Nuis, Netherlands
At first glance, Carla Nuis’ gold ring appears solid and heavy. On closer inspection, however, you discover signs around the edges that it could be built. In fact, it is made of wafer-thin gold sheet that has been welded together. The ring is therefore hollow and light as a feather. Even a first handshake would deform and change the ring. This reveals its true character, its fragility. This work reveals the never-ending interplay between appearance and reality. The ring is not intended for eternity, but for changeability, from the claim to infinity to finiteness.
Katrin Feulner, Germany
Katrin Feulner’s pieces of jewellery from the “Cut” series are created from found metal objects. The individual elements are cut into slices and reassembled. This allows repeats and a certain rhythm, balance and tension to develop. Through a very simple means of design, namely a targeted sawing movement, originally raw pieces of steel are transformed into supple jewellery that is nice to wear. Both the inner and the outer process play a role in the works. The process of working is just as important as the result.
