Herbert Hofmann Prize 2013

Reduced forms and surprising new approaches
New standards were set this year at SCHMUCK 2013 in Munich: by Robert Baines of Australia, Helina Lehtinen of Finland and Fumiki Taguchi of Japan. These jewellery designers are the winners of the coveted Herbert Hofmann Prize 2013, presented at the Internationale Handwerksmesse in Munich.

'Parrot' – that´s the title of one of the works by Robert Baines. This is not the only piece of jewellery in which this Australian designer makes use of animal motifs. In his round and oval brooches Robert Baines plays with the depiction of animals ranging from serpents to teddy bears. In a humorous and ironic way, commented the jury, he hints at the forms of historic jewellery. Indeed, history is his point of departure for creating an expressive style of jewellery that is superbly executed and entirely his own.

The works of Fumiki Taguchi of Japan are reminiscent of medals and decorative marks of distinction – but only at first glance. According to the jury, Taguchi´s brooches inventively confront the cliché in Japan that the value of a work of jewellery is often based on the size and the quality of the gems. Fascinated by the forms of historic jewellery and medals, he turns away from the traditional employment of precious stones, creating instead a trompe l’oeil effect of diamonds in silver. The piece called 'Expression of White', for example, imitates the luminance of precious stones, confounding the eye. Taguchi´s very different approach certainly appealed to the jury.

The group of works by Helena Lehtinen of Finland consists of seven different pendants. The work with the title 'Family', a composition of simple, reduced forms such as bars and disks, has the character of a still life in which each part relates to the others. What stands out, too, is the quality of the craftsmanship. The jury were attracted to the "clear austerity of the individual form" and the "composition of the group in different materials and delicate colours".


On show at SCHMUCK in Munich was a total over 250 exhibits from 58 goldsmiths and jewellery designers from 18 countries. The exhibits featured in this special exhibition were chosen this time by Bernhard Schobinger of Richterswil (Switzerland).


The jurors:
Prof. Eva Eisler, Prague
Prof. Sophie Hanagarth, Strasbourg
Dr. Marjan Unger, Amsterdam
Karl Rothmüller, Danner Stiftung Munich


Press contact:
Dr Patrik Hof, Head of Press and Public Relations
Andreas Ritter, Coordinator Press and Public Relations
T +49 (0)89 949 55-164
F +49 (0)89 949 55-169
ritter@ghm.de ; www.ihm.de