At the right time at the right place by Tabea Reulecke

Artist list

Tabea Reulecke

With its presentation in the Silver Hall, consisting of more than 150 creations, the German Goldsmiths' House Hanau offers an overview of the artist's work, demonstrating a broad spectrum of materials and intriguing techniques.


Jewelry has been moving me for 17 years now. Eversince, I have worked in almost 20 different workshops. Many of them were rented, some located in my own apartment, and still others in academies and universities. In some, I spent months or even years. All differed fundamentally in terms of equipment and comfort. However, I was able to change any of them in a way, that I felt at home. For that, it was not necessary to paint walls or move furniture. The changes would begin with unpacking my tools, brought along or on-site collected materials, as well as with my own participation. At these places, new collections of jewelry or compilations of objects came into being. They were characterized by special themes that occupied me and the respective production methods available in the workshops.

I enjoyed my time at the Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau as the 7th Town Goldsmith very much. This time-window allowed me to escape my everyday life for a short moment and to gain new room. Finally, it were different rooms on different levels that fascinated me.
During the first week, I had the opportunity to do a seminar with local students. Other courses took place as well, so that I could get to know different perspectives in different workshops. Against my plan to use the enamel lab, I familiarized myself with metal etching. Here, I chose a method that intrigued me so much that I focused on it most of the time.

Leaving the "portable" behind me, was inspired by a fairytale of the Brothers Grimm. When a fairytale is told or read, one usually imagines how the protagonist and supporting figures will have to look like. Real memories or fiction takes their places and, in front of our inner eyes, the story unfolds. They become reality in our imagination.

Four creatures manifested themselves.
Over a course of many months, the four stayed naked, without colour, without enamel, and without heads. Again and again, they were unpacked and observed. I hoped that they would communicate the same way like it used to happen in Hanau, and that inspiration would gush out of me. Yet, they seemed connected with their place of origin and could not feel at home anywhere else. The story had to be changed! Whenever something appears to be perfect and untouchable and progress, therefore, seems impossible, there is always still the possibility to take the whole thing apart and put together single pieces to form something new. The creatures' sizes refused me to enamel them. Thus, I decided to saw their most obstinate into two parts. This bisection lead to the resolution of the blockade, and just like on their own, all creatures became colorful.

The protagonist that sacrificed itself is now of bird-like shape. With it, the process of collective change had begun and ended, lastly.
Headlessness is based on the perception of the beholder.
/ Tabea Reulecke, August 2018.


In collaboration with Qi Wang, Tabea Reulecke developed a post card box to accompany the exhibition. It is available at the Goldsmiths' House at a price of 25.00€ (special edition) or 12.00€, respectively.


About artist:
Between 2002 and 2006, Tabea Reulecke (*1981, Berlin) was a student at Trier University of Applied Sciences, Idar-Oberstein, focusing on design, gemstone, and jewelry. Since 2007, she has been working as a self-employed jewelry designer and lecturer. From 2007 to 2013, she worked as a research assistant at Trier University of Applied Sciences, Idar-Oberstein. From 2013 to 2015, she completed a Master's degree in Fine Arts, at the same school, majoring in design, gemstone and jewelry. Since 2015, she is the project leader of the International Summer Academy at Idar-Oberstein campus. Since 2017, Tabea Reulecke works as a lecturer at vocational college, goldsmith and watchmaking academy, Pforzheim. Since 2007, the artist is represented in numerous national, as well as international single- and group-exhibitions. She was honoured with distinctions and awards.