Annamaria Zanella, Michael Becker: Different Stories – Formal Affinity

Artist list

Annamaria Zanella, Michael Becker

Annamaria Zanella’s wearable jewelry-sculptures, all one-of-a-kind pieces, have been inspired by personal experiences and impressions. With works such as Burqua or Boats from Africa, she also makes references to social injustices. While she experiments with colors and techniques, she plays with the values of the materials. Found pieces of iron and tin are refined with elaborate fired enamel; gold and silver are painted with acrylic colors or pigments. Technical brainstorms have no value of their own for Annamaria Zanella, instead they always serve her purpose of expression. Many of her pieces seem unruly at first; only on closer examination do they reveal a poetic charm. In their plastic vigor, several works appear as miniature sculptures. The artist, born 1966 in Sant’ Angelo di Piove/Padua, has been awarded many honors such as the Bavarian State Prize (2002) and the Herbert-Hoffmann-Prize (2006) among others.

The gold- and silversmith Michael Becker has devoted himself to the view from above. Many of his jewelry pieces are similar to landscapes as seen from a great height. Architecture is repeatedly an important inspiration for his artistic work. Constructed with circles, squares, and rectangles, Becker’s chains, bracelets, and brooches manifest the longing for ideal form, the striving for absolute aestheticism.  The geometric severity and aesthetic perfection of his works can be associated with poetry, passion, and the pleasure in beauty. Michael Becker likes to work with intensely colored, monochrome color surfaces such as deep blue lapis lazuli, green garnet, or red pigment.
Michael Becker, born 1958 in Paderborn, was also honored with the Bavarian State Prize in 2002.

Zanella and Becker are represented with their works in numerous public and private collections.  Both artists are included in a publication.