Legnica International Jewellery Competition 2023 Winners

This year, the jury included: Prof. Sławomir Fijałkowski and Prof. Piotr Korduba (Poland), David Sandu (Romania), Prof. Ludmila Šikolová (Czech Republic) and Ana Pina (Portugal).
The prizes included - of particular and symbolic significance - 5 kilograms of silver, donated by the KGHM S.A. The winners also received financial awards with a total value of PLN 40,000, a kilogram of amber from the International Amber Association and numerous special awards.

The highest award - the Grand Prix of the Competition - went to Korean artist Youjin Um, honoured for her exquisitely crafted silver brooches, perfectly corresponding to the theme 'Quality'. As the judges noted, Um's work "is simply astounding in its perfection of execution, redefining the sophisticated filigree technique which allowed the artist to design brooches that are very contemporary in expression and almost architectural." Youjin Um also received an award from Lost in Jewellery magazine.

The second prize went to Iris Hummer from Austria. Her ring, which serves as a megaphone or telescope, is a reminder of the relationship between jewellery and the senses. It is also a deceptive interpretation and metaphor for functionality. Hummer also received a mention from the Mydaybyday Gallery. Also on the podium (third place - Prize of the Mayor of Legnica) - was Susanne Hammer (Austria/Germany). The judges were impressed by her necklace, constructed from steel and silver pipes. The precision-positioned elements of the object move under the influence of the wearer's body movements.

The Art Gallery Award honoured the elaborate, multi-part and conceptual project 7 Jewellery Quotes by Christina Karababa from Greece. The jewellery designers' statements were reformatted and materialised as a 3D print. In turn, the Silver Spur - a special award from the organisers for creative courage and uncompromising, innovative or humorous creative expression - went to Polish goldsmith Tadeusz Jaśkowiak, the winner of the 2021 Grand Prix of the Competition. "Diamond" bullets are a commentary on current events, also bringing up universal, pacifist connotations.

Saturday evening in Legnica brought a great joy to Polish designer Magdalena Szadkowska, who received five awards: The Inhorgenta Munich Award, the Honorable Mention of the Association of Goldsmiths, the YES Gallery Award, the PB Group Award and the International Amber Association Award.

More about exhibitions here.

The exhibitions of the Legnica SILVER Festival will be available until June, and the post-competition exhibition in the Art Gallery will be on display until 16 July. Admission to all exhibitions is free.


Full list of the winners:
Youjin Um - Korea.
Iris Hummer - Austria.
Susanne Hammer - Austria/Germany.
Christina Karababa - Greece.
Tadeusz Jaśkowiak - Poland.
Magdalena Szadkowska - Poland.
Teresa Dantas - Portugal.
Arek Wolski  - Poland.
Marcin Bogusław - Poland.
Sharareh Aghaei - Iran/Germany.