I'm available for business trips to other cities for projects lasting a month or longer.
The works in this exhibition explore the value of the artist’s idea and concept, where material takes a secondary role - or assumes a primary one in ways that challenge our conventional thinking. Does a piece of jewelry lose its value if it is made not of gold but of car body fragments? What happens when termites become co-authors of an artwork? Why replicate baroque pearls using polyethylene film? The works of the talented artists featured in Treasure Island answer these questions while raising many others, engaging viewers in a dynamic and dialogue about categories of value and status, the relationship between humans and nature, evolving social shifts, artistic experimentation, cultural heritage, and much more.
As both the curator and a passionate advocate for conceptual jewelry art, I sincerely hope that this project will inspire new participants - artists, gallerists, and collectors - to join the conversation about the significance of concept and idea in contemporary jewelry. Let this serve as the first chapter in the story of conceptual jewelry art in Kazakhstan.
As both the curator and a passionate advocate for conceptual jewelry art, I sincerely hope that this project will inspire new participants - artists, gallerists, and collectors - to join the conversation about the significance of concept and idea in contemporary jewelry. Let this serve as the first chapter in the story of conceptual jewelry art in Kazakhstan.
Treasure Island
Zhanna Assanova
Curator
Curator
We are proud to announce the list of our artists:
DULAT ASHIMOV (KAZAKHSTAN), Zhanna Assanova (Kazakhstan), ANDREA AUER (AUSTRIA), SERZHAN BASHIROV (KAZAKHSTAN), WILLEMIEN BRUWER (BELGIUM), LIESBET BUSSCHE (BELGIUM), MARTINA DEMPF (GERMANY), ELISABETH DRUDE (AUSTRIA), ELENA GORBUNOVA (GERMANY), Margit Hart (AUSTRIA), IDIOTS NL (THE NETHERLANDS), ILYA KAZAKOV (KAZAKHSTAN), DIANA KIRDEEVA (BELGIUM), MICHELLE KRAEMER (AUSTRIA), TABIGAT KUZHANBAEV (KAZAKHSTAN), AIZA MAHMUD (PAKISTAN), FRITZ MAIERHOFER (AUSTRIA), JASMIN MATZAKOW (GERMANY), STEPHIE MORAWETZ (AUSTRIA), ABYLAI MURASHBEKOV (KAZAKHSTAN), CHINARA NIYAZOVA (KYRGYZSTAN), TED NOTEN (THE NETHERLANDS), RAIM KENZHEBAEV (KAZAKHSTAN/AUSTRIA), DIANA KIRDEEVA (BELGIUM), JULIA OBERMAIER (GERMANY), KONSTANZE PRECHTL (AUSTRIA), KATJA PRINS (THE NETHERLANDS), ULRICH REITHOFER (AUSTRIA), ANNA RIESS (AUSTRIA), VALERY RUPPEL (KYRGYZSTAN), GISBERT STACH (GERMANY), AIDA SULOVA (WEST NEW YORK/ KYRGYZSTAN), EVA TESARIK (AUSTRIA), GULNARA URISBAEVA (KAZAKHSTAN), FELIEKE VAN DER LEEST (THE NETHERLANDS), PETRA ZIMMERMAN (AUSTRIA).
Andrea Auer
AUSTRIA
Megapearls, series of objects.
Materials: cling film, steel
Megapearls, series of objects.
Materials: cling film, steel
For more than 6000 years, people have been using pearls as jewelry, and for an equally long time, they have been trying to imitate the natural product. “Megapearls” are individual oversized baroque pearls made of PE-polyethylene cling film that flirt with real pearls in terms of color, gloss and effect. A precious effect in an everyday material.
Anna Riess
AUSTRIA
Boob Brooch, brooch
Materials: rose quartz, breast implant, coral, silver, steel
Boob Brooch, brooch
Materials: rose quartz, breast implant, coral, silver, steel
Anna Riess’s concept indeed intertwines artistry and symbolism, as this object serves to express and provoke contemplation on notions of beauty, femininity, and social issues. By crafting a brooch that replicates the tactile sensation and weight of a woman’s breasts, Riess confronts conventional perspectives on jewelry and gender roles. The seven hands cradling the implant further emphasize the importance of trust and solidarity among women, advocating for a sense of unity and mutual support.
Elisabeth Drude
AUSTRIA
Down to the Bone, jewelry series (brooches, rings, earclips)
Materials: silver, zircons, colored animal bones, stainless steel
Down to the Bone, jewelry series (brooches, rings, earclips)
Materials: silver, zircons, colored animal bones, stainless steel
For Elisabeth Drude, bone substance is both an end point and a new beginning. Through processing such as cutting, coloring and arranging, this material achieves a rebirth in the form of a piece of jewelry. The artist dedicated her series to the perpetual change in life with hopeful and colorful new beginnings.
Eva Tesarik
AUSTRIA
Laboratorium, rings
Materials: Silver, resin, plexiglass
Laboratorium, rings
Materials: Silver, resin, plexiglass
Eva Tesarik’s first occupation was Doctor of Biology, and this artwork was inspired by her experience of working in a genetics lab. The first ring consists of little silver embryos floating in test tubes, while the second ring shows the transformation of these embryos into little bears. Tesarik builds the base of her rings from actual lab cuvettes, and the use of this material creates the illusion of a real genetic experiment.
Fritz Maierhofer
AUSTRIA
Untitled, rings and bracelet
Corian, silver, gold, agates
Untitled, rings and bracelet
Corian, silver, gold, agates
Fritz Maierhofer is one of the pioneers of contemporary jewelry dealing with non-precious materials. Several years ago however, Maierhofer found a new material - mineral-acrylic composite Corian® that inspired a new series of works.
Konstanze Prechtl
AUSTRIA
Clothed Contact, necklace and brooches
Materials: textiles from old clothes, cotton, wood, paint, magnet, steel
Clothed Contact, necklace and brooches
Materials: textiles from old clothes, cotton, wood, paint, magnet, steel
In this series Konstanze Prechtl uses textiles from used clothing as her main material. These always show signs of wear and tear and traces of use. They provide clues about the wearers and previous owners. The knowledge that these fabrics were close to other bodies creates intimacy. Created in a time when interaction with others was lacking - no hugs, no closeness, hardly any physical contact - it was important to the artist that this haptic aspect, the “feeling” and literal understanding of the material, becomes tangible.
Margit Hart
AUSTRIA
Shifted Relations, brooches.
Materials: photo on acrylic, silver
Shifted Relations, brooches.
Materials: photo on acrylic, silver
In Hart’s works the image itself – without any further decorative trimmings – becomes a gem.
Michelle Kraemer
AUSTRIA/ LUXEMBOURG
Infinite, necklace
Materials: Balsa wood, color shifting pigments, varnish, silver
Infinite, necklace
Materials: Balsa wood, color shifting pigments, varnish, silver
“When the world around us is burning we’re holding on and not even a landslide can bring us down. Cut from one block, we are intertwined souls connected through calm and chaos, tornadoes and soft breezes. A bond that grows stronger over time. Until death do us part.” - this is how Michelle Kraemer describes her work, two links carved from a single piece of Balsa wood.
Petra Zimmermann
AUSTRIA
Mushroom Rings
Materials: polymethyl methacrylate, various gemstones, pearls, cut-steel beads, silver, gold-plated silver
Mushroom Rings
Materials: polymethyl methacrylate, various gemstones, pearls, cut-steel beads, silver, gold-plated silver
With the mushroom rings Petra Zimmermann has been inspired by the unusual, the mysterious, the special in the familiar. A mushroom stands out, like an accepted foreign body in the aesthetics of nature. Its shiny, smooth surface seems like an artificial intervention in the natural structure. Worn as jewellery , it becomes a cultural sign that refers to nature at most. It is not an illustration or stylised representation, but the mushroom itself, worn perforated in the stem on the finger, its hat enthroned like an umbrella over the back of the hand, where it is also allowed to unfold its decorative and irritating effect. Torn from nature as a ring, the mushroom is shifted into a purely cultural context and all the meanings attributed to it by man become relevant: the traditional, the banal as well as the special.
Stephie Morawetz
AUSTRIA
Plastone, Faces series of brooches.
Materials: Plastone (stone with plastic inclusions), plastic, steel
Plastone, Faces series of brooches.
Materials: Plastone (stone with plastic inclusions), plastic, steel
With her works Stephie Morawetz tells a story of a hypothetical future - a future where crude oil is depleted and plastic is prized. Plastone — a stone with plastic inclusions — is discovered and ushers in a monopolised industry. The Böhm Cooperation owns the Plastone Identification Institute (PII), evaluating each stone’s quality with the 4 Ps: Power, Purity, Pigment, and Prisma. Assigned a unique PII number, each stone’s evaluation certificate, accessible via QR code, ensures transparency and authenticity in this new era of precious materials. In ancient times cameos were used to engrave persons of importance that represent the age of time. In her project Stephie chooses to depict in Plastone individuals who exemplify the essence of our time: Instagram influencers. By transforming their digital personas into physical cameos, artist aims to capture and illustrate the spirit of our age - a time where the virtual world has profound real-world implications.
Ulrich Reithofer
AUSTRIA
- Fair Trade, collier. Materials: radruksha-seeds, camel-bone, cubic zirconia, diamond, gold, silver
- Tribal Bling, ring. Materials: acoya-pearls, mokasith, ebony, cubic zirconia, silk, silver, gold
Ulrich Reithofer creates his works combining materials typical for traditional goldsmithing with more exotic ones like rare types of wood or camel bone - in his pieces he researches the subject of subtle balance and tough contrast, exploring the fine line between mutual influence and cultural appropriation.
Diana Kirdeeva
BELGIUM
YOU are here…, necklace + sweater
Materials: recycled brass, silver
YOU are here…, necklace + sweater
Materials: recycled brass, silver
Diana Kirdeeva creates her piece as a manifest of being, to remind that it takes courage to show up, declare a presence, hold on to your values and beliefs, and make yourself visible. Decorative brass sweater neck doubles as necklace and as a visible accent on the center of the entire installation - a place for a head.
Liesbet Bussche
BELGIUM/ THE NETHERLANDS
Jewelry Boxes, objects
Materials: Jatoba wood, mother-of-pearl, silver, brass
Jewelry Boxes, objects
Materials: Jatoba wood, mother-of-pearl, silver, brass
A jewellery box is a treasure chest containing objects that are ‘untouchable’, shielded from emotions and sensations. Liesbet Bussche’s Jewellery Boxes are filled with necklaces inlaid with mother-of-pearl and encased in wood shaped into the form of jewellery boxes with ornamental finishes. They lure the wearer with an intangible seductiveness: The boxes are not boxes and the pearls are not pearls, and yet it seems you can pick up and wear the pearl necklace at any time. Through two icons, Bussche reflects on wearability, preciousness and craftmanship, themes that constantly reverberate in contemporary jewelry.
Willemien Bruwer
SOUTH AFRICA/ BELGIUM
You Stay Here!, ring
Materials: PU resin, apricot wood, sterling silver
You Stay Here!, ring
Materials: PU resin, apricot wood, sterling silver
Willemien utilized found wood that was already ravaged by termites and beetles, and poured ethically sourced PU resin onto the wood. The specific techniques she used were burring, sanding, drilling, and other similar laborious actions to mimic the methods of the termites’ nest building habits. Holes and tunnels subtly highlighted by delicate metal work bring together the human touch, and the mimicking of Nature, bringing the importance of our environmental conversation to the forefront.
Elena Gorbunova
GERMANY
- Coral Snow, series of pins. Materials: Upcycled plastic, steel
- Back to the Organic, series of brooches. Materials: Upcycled plastic, steel
Elena Gorbunova’‘s general topic is “Looking for Another”. She is fascinated to think of communication and relations in material and immaterial worlds. Her material of choice is recycled plastic. In her works she does research about the richness and endless possibilities of an ordinary material - plastic from daily life. She treats this material in such a way that it starts to show the depth of layers and becomes more like a painting than anything. Gorbunova’s works invite the viewer to look closely at their details. Those pieces that are built in volume are incredibly light, and are formed by artist’s know-how technique where the texture plays the main role. The ovals from “Coral Snow” series are treated as precious cameos and some are set in a lace looking rim. As it would have been in a goldsmith’s work.
Gisbert Stach
GERMANY
- Calamari Fritti, pendants. Materials: Baltic amber, silicone
- Sushi 4, from the series Amber to go, brooch. Materials: Baltic amber, silicone, paper, silver
- Pea chain, necklace. Materials: Ruby in zoisite, malachite, silicone, thread, silver
In experimental series, pieces of jewelry are created based on the topic of food, especially fast food. One wonders: Why fast food of all things? Because these snacks might symbolize modern living? Because they stand for fast consumption and a contradictory statement with a deeper meaning? These snacks are made of leftover pieces from the gemstone cutting workshop and of amber and malachite, which Stach uses as pigment and – in combination with silicone – as moulding material.
Jasmin Matzakow
GERMANY
The Lore of the Weird, series of necklaces
Materials: Chicken eggs, quail eggs, cow intestines, iron wire
The Lore of the Weird, series of necklaces
Materials: Chicken eggs, quail eggs, cow intestines, iron wire
Most signs of evil today originate from ancient symbols of female mythological figures that once celebrated life. However, over five thousand years of patriarchal culture, representations of the female body, sex, menstrual blood, and childbirth were devalued and banned. This series highlights the abjection of the female body and its symbols through mythological characters like Medusa, Circe, and Lilith. Adorning the body with anything deemed too feminine or witchy provokes patriarchal society. These necklaces focus on the beauty and power of the sinner, the cunt, and the whore.
Julia Obermaier
GERMANY
Betongold, necklace.
Materials: concrete, fine gold nugget, iron, thread
Betongold, necklace.
Materials: concrete, fine gold nugget, iron, thread
Personal space is a fundamental topic in Julia Obermaier’s artistic work. Nowadays it gets more and more difficult to get your own spaces due to increasing prices in the world of real estate. It’s hard to find an affordable place, where you not just reside but also have a living. Because of this reason, the „Betongold“ series is created. They are little houses out of concrete and a little grain of gold, which you can wear in your daily life to have your own little space with you. It all started with a drawing of ‘Santa Claus’-house, the first house Obermaier have known and sketched as a child. These drawings are the fundament of this series. With a fine gold nugget in its core, it resembles the importance of your own space.
Martina Dempf
GERMANY
Twister, series of necklaces and brooches
Materials: silver, screw hazelnut wood, hemp, steel
Twister, series of necklaces and brooches
Materials: silver, screw hazelnut wood, hemp, steel
The screw hazelnut with its unusual growth of unpredictably developing lines has particularly fascinated the artist in its aesthetic quality and challenged her creatively. When designing jewelry objects, Martina is not interested in reshaping or alienating materials, but in capturing their specific expressiveness, form and aesthetics and highlighting them with metal work.
Abylay Murashbekov
KAZAKHSTAN
Industrial trophies, series of helmets
Materials: wood, glue, paper, wire
Industrial trophies, series of helmets
Materials: wood, glue, paper, wire
The helmets represent stylized horns of animals: deer, argali and saiga. The artist reflects on the theme of the primitive spirit and trophies in the modern industrial era. Artificial and industrial under the guise of nature.
Gulnara Urisbayeva
KAZAKHSTAN
Aral sea, earrings
Materials: Silver, cupronickel, plastic
Aral sea, earrings
Materials: Silver, cupronickel, plastic
Once the 4th largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea has dried up and shrunk by 10 times. In earrings with the help of plastic Gulnara showes two outlines of the water level, visually demonstrating the scale of the environmental disaster - the dried up bottom of the Aral Sea has turned into a huge desert.
Dulat Ashimov
KAZAKHSTAN
Kozhe/ series of rings
Materials: Acrylic, agate, nail, stone, silver, glass, brass, coconut.
Kozhe/ series of rings
Materials: Acrylic, agate, nail, stone, silver, glass, brass, coconut.
A series of rings made from different materials and using different techniques is reminiscent of the preparation of the national Kazakh dish Kozhe, consisting of seven or nine completely different ingredients.
Zhanna Assanova
KAZAKHSTAN
Find your voice, hair (braids) jewellery.
Material: recycled textiles, waste sewing production, coins
Find your voice, hair (braids) jewellery.
Material: recycled textiles, waste sewing production, coins
In Kazakh culture, hair jewelry made of silver coins announced the approach of their owner with a melodious ringing, as if to reproduce her voice. Zhanna Assanova metaphorically associates coins in hair jewelry tightly sealed with melted plastic to the absence of a woman’s voice and its sound. Do we hear our own voice? Do you know how to hear your sensory response in order to reproduce the voice that will sound? No screaming. Only the power of your voice.
Ilya Kazakov
KAZAKHSTAN
Colored Techno rhythms, series of jewelry.
Materials: silver, copper, brass, radio components, carbine, swivels for fishing tackle, leather.
Colored Techno rhythms, series of jewelry.
Materials: silver, copper, brass, radio components, carbine, swivels for fishing tackle, leather.
A series of jewelry created from old radio parts. Tis series of jewellery focuses on the importance of environmental awareness and reuse of materials, turning electronic waste into jewellery.
Serzhan Bashirov
KAZAKHSTAN
Wall objets - brooches
Wall objets - brooches
In this series of works the artist reflects on the theme of traditional lines and forms, sounds and colors of the nature of his native land in the rhythm of today.
Tabigat Kuzhanbayev
KAZAKHSTAN
Tomiris, series of necklaces
Materials: leather, rubber, metal, plastic
Tomiris, series of necklaces
Materials: leather, rubber, metal, plastic
Using the exaggerated form of the necklace, the author talks about the armor of the female warrior Tomiris, looking out from the past into the future as if from a porthole.
Valery Ruppel
KYRGYZSTAN
Blood circulation, a series of necklaces (Kuurdak project). Materials: felt, plastic
Blood circulation, a series of necklaces (Kuurdak project). Materials: felt, plastic
Sculptural image of internal organs (kidneys, heart, liver and others) in the “Kuurdak” project (traditional roast of innards in Kyrgyz cuisine) becomes the main visual element and in various combinations is building an independent ornamental row.
Chinara Niyazova
KYRGYZSTAN
Threads of tradition, a series of jewellery (brooches, earrings)
Materials: metal mesh, needles, silk threads, felt
Threads of tradition, a series of jewellery (brooches, earrings)
Materials: metal mesh, needles, silk threads, felt
The artist reflects on the role of the daughter-in-law (kelin) in the tradition of the tea ceremony in Central Asia. The daughter-in-law pours tea for all members of her husband’s family and every movement and facial expression reflects on her reputation. A tea strainer, which is hung from the spout of a teapot, seems like a small household detail, but for Chinara it is a very symbolic element through which you can learn more.
Raim Kenzhebaev
KAZAKHSTAN
Heritage identity and choice
Materials: Sterling silver horse hair 75cm long
Heritage identity and choice
Materials: Sterling silver horse hair 75cm long
For Kenzhebayev horsehair symbolizes Kazakh culture, tied to nomadic life and
the horse's significance. While crafting this earring, he encountered varied opinions
like „shorten it" or „braid is nicer" which reminded him how throughout life he
encountered many opinions about what it means to be a true Kazakh. Therefore, he
grants wearers freedom, letting them shape their own piece. Raim believes despite
cultural norms, we should have freedom to define our identity and the role of
heritage in our lives.
the horse's significance. While crafting this earring, he encountered varied opinions
like „shorten it" or „braid is nicer" which reminded him how throughout life he
encountered many opinions about what it means to be a true Kazakh. Therefore, he
grants wearers freedom, letting them shape their own piece. Raim believes despite
cultural norms, we should have freedom to define our identity and the role of
heritage in our lives.
Aida Sulova
KYRGYZSTAN/ US
Series of necklaces
Materials: bubble wrap plastic, beads, packing air bubble plastic, plastic & fresh water pearls, wine paper package, iphone cord charger.
Series of necklaces
Materials: bubble wrap plastic, beads, packing air bubble plastic, plastic & fresh water pearls, wine paper package, iphone cord charger.
The artist likes turning everyday objects into wearable art, giving each piece a unique identity and story and making them valuable in their own way. An object, when viewed beyond its obvious function and purpose, can transform into a work of art.
Aiza Mahmood
PAKISTAN
Series of necklaces
Material: Discarded faucet connector, quartz, rope, brass wire, computer parts, discarded horse shoes, discarded car part, Slate, steel wire.
Series of necklaces
Material: Discarded faucet connector, quartz, rope, brass wire, computer parts, discarded horse shoes, discarded car part, Slate, steel wire.
In this series, Aiza explores the intersection of spaces, materials, and gender roles within society. The artist explored spaces that are male dominated and started breaking the boundaries by going through those spaces and gathering materials such as broken car parts, various metals and joining them together to make an object that challenges the notion of its maker and purpose as prescribed by the culture.
Felieke van der Leest
NORWAY/ THE NETHERLANDS
Yellow Kelly, necklace.
Materials: textile, plastic animal, gold, cubic zirconia, glass beads
Yellow Kelly, necklace.
Materials: textile, plastic animal, gold, cubic zirconia, glass beads
Felieke van der Leest is a jewelry artist who is known for her distinctive style and sense of humor. Using crochet, beading and metalwork Felieke breathes life, character and new values into plastic animals that started out as children’s toys.
Idiots.nl
THE NETHERLANDS
Bunny, Necklace
Materials: taxidermy rabbits, meshing embroidery flowers, silk
Bunny, Necklace
Materials: taxidermy rabbits, meshing embroidery flowers, silk
Artistic duo Idiots found their niche at the meeting point between jewellery and ethical taxidermy. The Bunny Necklace was created from the heads of actual rabbits that died after animal testing of beauty products and were later disposed of by makeup company. Using this very literal, very controversial material in their works, Idiots manage to start conversations on multiple topics - from destruction of nature to fear of loss and death. Work provided by Galerie Door.
Katja Prins
THE NETHERLANDS
1. Hybrid, brooch. Materials: chrome plated brass, dental resin
2. Offspring, pendant. Materials: chrome plated brass, dental resin
1. Hybrid, brooch. Materials: chrome plated brass, dental resin
2. Offspring, pendant. Materials: chrome plated brass, dental resin
Katja Prins’ practice explores the intimate relationship between the human body and technology; in particular, ambivalence, contradiction, the thin line between good and bad, improvement and danger, the uncanny valley of the familiar and the unknown. The simultaneously « healing-protective and toxic-destructive” properties of technology both worry and excite the artist. They also provide her with imagery and ideas for a fluid, boundless world in which man and technology are hybrid, where the human body and the network merge and become entangled with one another in a structure of systems; it is unclear where one ends and the other begins. Prins’ work thus tells stories about the human body in relation to its environment, the body as an instrument / machine and instruments / machines as an extension of the body.
Ted Noten
THE NETHERLANDS
Mercedes Benz, brooches
Materials: parts of Mercedes Benz car
Mercedes Benz, brooches
Materials: parts of Mercedes Benz car
Ted Noten is one of the pillars of contemporary jewelry and his 1998 work Mercedes Benz Brooches is by no accident one of the textbook cases of conceptual jewelry. Noten in a way reinvents the concept of “preciousness”, that is crucial for jewelry. While we usually find preciousness in gold and diamonds, Noten suggests that a luxury car, an international symbol of status, desired all over the world, is no less precious, and thus can also serve as raw materials for jewelry. Artist cuts pieces directly out of an actual Mercedez and without any further manipulation except for adding the pins, offers to wear this thin piece of steel as proudly as you would wear a golden crown.
Andrea Auer
AUSTRIA
Tixo, necklace
Materials: adhesive tape
Tixo, necklace
Materials: adhesive tape
The „Tixo“ necklace chain is made from self-adhesive tape rolls without the use of any other additional materials. The piece of jewelry tells of Andrea Auer’s interest in creating jewelry from banal, industrially manufactured everyday materials, which at same time are unconventional and non-traditional materials for making jewelry.
Felieke van der Leest
NORWAY / THE NETHERLANDS
Beaver Family from Pencil Creek, necklace
Materials: pencils, hemalyke, textile, plastic animals, silver, turquoise, cubic, zirconia
Beaver Family from Pencil Creek, necklace
Materials: pencils, hemalyke, textile, plastic animals, silver, turquoise, cubic, zirconia
Felieke van der Leest is a jewelry artist who is known for her distinctive style and sense of humor. Using crochet, beading and metalwork Felieke breathes life, character and new values into plastic animals that started out as children’s toys.
Zhanna Assanova
KAZAKHSTAN
Connections, necklace
Materials: recycled textiles, metal zippers
Connections, necklace
Materials: recycled textiles, metal zippers
This necklace that ties my neck with heavy loops tells about that landscape in Lahore (Pakistan) which admired me greatly with its strength. Those buzzing sloppy chaotically tied electrical wires became a prototype for my jewelry. I am interested in the way we are connected to each other, how we maintain these ties, how we come to a decision to cut them and start the new ties or restore the damaged ones.
Ilya Kazakov
KAZAKHSTAN
Art, 2 rings
Materials: silver, art brushes, pencils, copper, bone, brass, wood, hot enamel, jade.
Art, 2 rings
Materials: silver, art brushes, pencils, copper, bone, brass, wood, hot enamel, jade.
A series of rings created from artistic brushes and pencils recreates the image of a dense forest (brushes) and a densely built city (pencils), each of which has its own laws and rules.
Julia Obermaier
GERMANY
KOH-I-NOOR, series of objects
Materials: jasper, lapis lazuli, marble
KOH-I-NOOR, series of objects
Materials: jasper, lapis lazuli, marble
Eraser, an object of everyday culture, which embodies transience, flexibility and correction, is contrasted with a very traditional, hard and durable material – the gemstone. When viewing and holding these objects, they are immediately provoking memories of the school erasers’ smell, feel and past times. Cut from various precious stones and thus completely deprived of their function of erasing, the objects immediately initiate the viewer’s thoughts to draw pictures in front of their inner eye. Just like their “natural” role model itself, they are table objects and hand flatterers. But some of the erasers can be also worn around your neck, as an everyday trophy. “Ratzefummel” – the jewel from childhood.
Stephie Morawetz
AUSTRIA
Same Shit, necklace
Materials: 6 carat rabbit shit pearl (powered by the rabbits Tiffany and Harry), stainless steel
Same Shit, necklace
Materials: 6 carat rabbit shit pearl (powered by the rabbits Tiffany and Harry), stainless steel
Jewelry, often synonymous with luxury, is ensnared in materialism and capitalism, its value dictated by gem rarity and brand status. Materialism reduces it to a status symbol, fostering a culture of acquisition. Capitalism commodifies jewelry, prioritizing profit over ethics. Morawetz’s piece, « Same Shit, » challenges consumerism by using unconventional materials like rabbit excrement to question fairness. It prompts a critical examination of value, revealing its multidimensional nature beyond mere adornment.
Margit Hart
AUSTRIA
Schattenflug · Fleeting Shadows, brooches
Materials: pigment print on steel, acrylic, silver
Schattenflug · Fleeting Shadows, brooches
Materials: pigment print on steel, acrylic, silver
Light makes our world visible. Light enables us to perceive our surroundings and to distinguish things and objects…- the artist is observing them and capturing their never-ending variations and their ephemeral existence with the camera. The brooches show fragments of those photographs.