SCHMUCKmuenchen 2025 - International Jewellery Competition
SCHMUCKmuenchen 2025 - International Jewellery Competition
Collective biography:
SCHMUCKmuenchen has been an important forum for contemporary jewellery for more than sixty years. In fact, experts and connoisseurs in the jewellery world consider it as most important meeting point. The pieces on view are by young goldsmiths, some still in training, while other pieces are the work of established designers who enjoy a high reputation on the jewellery scene. 789 applications from 51 countries reached us this year.
Goldsmiths’ involvement with contemporary aesthetic trends makes the jewellery show a memorable event year after year. “Schmuck” features works by 62 goldsmiths from 29 countries. Responsible for the selection was art historian Dr. Jurgita Ludavičienė.
Honored as classic of modernism artist is Bussi Buhs from Germany. Herbert Hofmann (1899-1971) art historian and long-time head of the Bavarian Craft Support Association initiated the first special jewellery show in 1959. With the Herbert Hofmann Award the Fair Organziation awards goldsmiths where the work is exemplary in terms of innovativeness of idea, orginality of conception, outstanding artisanal execution and ornamental effect.
Prize Winners 2025
Eija Mustonen, Finland
Nikita Kavryzhin, Russia
Jounghye Park, Korea
Host: Benno und Therese Danner´sche Kunstgewerbestiftung München
Supervision: Chamber of Trades and Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Barbara Schmidt
Organization: Chamber of Trades and Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Eva Sarnowski
Arrangement: Alexandra Bahlmann
Participating Artists at SCHMUCKmuenchen Collective at Romanian Jewelry Week 2025:
Donald Friedlich / US
Ketchup Slob Brooch
Brooch, 2024. Resin, found object. Sterling, nickel silver. 10,1 x 5,6 x 0,8 cm
There are few things more important to me than food and humour. So, my newest work is a return to those themes that I first explored about eight years ago. These trompe l’œil brooches, which I call “Slobs”, are in the “readymade”-tradition of Marcel Duchamp and the consumer product recontextualizations of Andy Warhol’s Soup Cans and Brillo Boxes. As a person who all too frequently gets spills and stains on my clothing, I find it amusing to find a way to appear to literally wear those mishaps. One could even use my fake spills to cover up the stains of real ones, thus extending the useful life of a garment.
Klaus Bürgel, US/DE
Pendant, 2024. Silver, cast, fabricated. 25 x 4 x 1,8 cm
These guys...Nothing seems to make sense to them. They are free.
Manami Aoki / JP
Hair of the wood
Brooch, 2023. Hinoki, silver, stainless steel. 7 x 8,5 x 2,5 cm
When creating jewellery, I place a strong emphasis on transforming the potential of various materials into value. In this series titled "Wood That Can Be Combed", I took a remarkably simple method of "hammering", deviating from conventional wood processing methods such as cutting or carving. The unravelled fibres, resembling hair that can be combed, bring an unexpected surprise but also evoke the vitality of the wood, challenging its traditional image of strength and rigidity. In Japan, the act of combing another person’s hair has been considered a gesture of affection since ancient times. Reflecting this cultural sentiment, the title of this series translates to "Wood That Can Be Combed." For me, jewellery serves as a medium for personal expression, a symbol of affection, and a manifestation of individual values. When someone wears this piece, it has the potential to become a form of communication, fostering empathy and connection beyond words.
Mona Wallström / SE
Tree Spirit Action Force,
command Nang Tani
Brooch, with stand, 2024. Wood, rayon, silver, titanium. 11 x 10 x 8 cm
“The Tree Spirit Action Force - TSAF” is a jewellery project that was created in response to the disappearance of natural forests and wildlife in northern European countries. The timber industry has now converted 90% of forests into cultivated land, with large areas being first deforested and then replanted. Animals are kept away to protect the plants. Trees and forests have always been closely associated with humans. Tree spirits are common deities in many cultures around the world. These pieces of jewellery are a call for help to the deities to fight for the basis of existence, ours and theirs. I imagine a guerrilla, an intervention force commanded by tree deities from different parts of the world and masked so that we can see them.
Nevin Arig / BE
This is not a selfie
Brooch, 2024. Aluminium, silver, feather. Pigments, colored sand. 11 x 7 x 2,5 cm
Taking a selfie is an instinctive, almost animalistic act, where we give in to a deep urge to assert ourselves and be seen. The selfie becomes a modern ritual of display, where everyone showcases their beauty, strength, or success like a peacock flaunting its feathers. Behind the screen, we don a shimmering mask, an idealized version of ourselves, adorned with glitter and perfection. We feed on the gaze of others, seeking to prove our worth and popularity through likes and comments. This quest for validation turns into a competition, a way to measure our place in the social hierarchy. The selfie, far from being trivial, reveals our primal need for recognition, for visual dominance in a world where the image is king.
Peter Bauhuis / DE
Oreichalkos
Rings, 2024. Yellow bronze, cas. 6 x 15 x 10 cm
Orichalcum (oreikhalkos, "mountain ore" in Greek) is the Greek name for a "fiery shimmering metal". According to Plato, the inhabitants of Atlantis valued it most after gold. Large rings with heads resembling stones - and heads! Many ancient rings have a stone carved with a face. Prometheus was seen as the benefactor and protector of mankind. He brought fire from the heavens for mankind and Zeus punished him by chaining him to the Caucasus Mountains. Every day an eagle would come to eat his liver, which would grow back again and again. It was Hercules who killed the bird and broke Prometheus' chains. In return, Zeus made Prometheus wear a ring with a stone from the rock. Thus, Prometheus was still forged. Rings, stones, heads - are they lesser gods who accompany (guard/supervise) those who wear the rings, or is it even Zeus himself?
Svenja John / DE
BANGU
Neckpiece, 2024. Polycarbonat, Makrolon. Nylon 3 D-Printed, Finest Pigment Acrylic Paint. 36 x 12,5 x 2,5 cm
The Berlin-based jewellery designer is known for her unique artistic approach. She uses the most modern, computer-aided production methods for her designs, such as high-precision waterjet cutters and the latest developments in additive manufacturing. The resulting parts, made of polycarbonate and 3D-printed nylon, are finished with a finish of individually mixed and very finely pigmented acrylic paints, to create extraordinary colour and form compositions. The colouring and assembly of the individual parts is done by hand in the traditional way. The new creations show a two-tone gradient on the individual parts of the construction. One colour seamlessly transitions into another. This creates a shimmering, colourful finish reminiscent of the colourfulness of exotic insects or birds of paradise.
Yichen Dong / CN
„Stone flavours“
Earrings, 2022. Various natural stones, silver in gold plate. 40 x 40 x 6 cm
Inspired by the playful forms of Jelly Belly candies and natural mineral specimens, this work fuses two seemingly unrelated elements—soft, sugary confections and raw geological materials. Using Earth as a 'factory,' I’ve collected various natural stones from around the world and meticulously carved them into candy-like shapes. Through this playful transformation, I present the diverse colors, textures, and patterns of these minerals from a fresh, whimsical perspective.
Unlike real candies, these 'sweets' are eternal, untouched by time and decay. This work invites reflection on how we perceive the world and the attitudes we adopt in facing life. As time passes, the 'flavors' of life—its pleasures and beauty—are preserved and celebrated, unchanging in their essence. In a world of impermanence, these enduring 'candies' remind us to savor and commemorate life's richness, challenging us to consider how we engage with and appreciate the fleeting and the lasting. The piece serves as a metaphor for enjoying the sweetness of life, encouraging viewers to reflect on the lasting value of moments and materials often overlooked.