Review of SCHMUCK at Handwerk & Design 2018

In the special show SCHMUCK, Germany has had the strongest presence, followed by Japan, Argentina, and the Netherlands. On Saturday, 10th March 2018,  5 p.m. the prestigious Herbert Hofmann Prize was awarded on the stage in Hall B1 of the International Craft Trades Fair. This year's winners were selected by Cornelie Holzach, Stefano Marchetti, and Caroline Broadhead, which I head the pleasure to see during their decision-making process one morning. It was pure joy to see how serious all of them took their responsibilities to select carefully the objects who will win the prestigious Herbert Hofmann Prize.


Caroline Broadhead, Juror for the Herbert Hofmann Prize 2018, making her final decision at the SCHMUCK special show.


Let's talk about the Awarded of this year's Herbert Hofmann Prize.
The 3rd winner was Gernot Leibold from Germany. The square brooches from Gernot Leibold impressed the jury by a surprising combination of materials. The brooch „Schwarze Struktur Nr.6“ made from ebony, plastics, silver, and steel appear like an opened box revealing a mysterious structure.


Brooch by Gernot Leibold “Schwarze Struktur Nr. 6” awarded the Herbert Hofmann Prize


As second awarded, the jury announced Julia Maria Künapp from Estonia. The jury described the green brooch "Why Is It All Overgrowing" made of nephrite and gold by Julia Maria Künnap, "as a masterpiece of stone carving". The Estonian artist "wants to achieve in every new work, a more precise stone-cut, even more, transparency, an even thinner material, and a clearer concept. It becomes an obsession for her." the jury said in its statement.




Brooches from Julia Maria Künapp, awarded with the Herbert Hofmann Prize 2018


The Main Prize was awarded to Lin Cheung from UK. "Delayed Reaction Series" is the title of the stone-cut brooches by Lin Cheung from the UK. The brooches which look like Buttons or Pins, reflected the artists mixed feelings about the world around her. The brooch "Non-Plus" describes the events since the EU referendum and the ongoing debate about Britain's future in relation to Europe, according to the jury. Other brooches of this series are allusions to political and social change and related feelings. "Buttons are actually meant for the moment, just existing as long as it takes to deliver a message. Cutting them in stone is just the opposite: it is slow, unpredictable and often limited. But these limitations are a good test of what will be left when the dust has set up again" the statement says. The work of Lin Cheung was a political statement, "exemplary for questions of our time and the relationship to their values.” According to the Jury.



Delayed Reactions series brooch "Confused 2017", Brooch, carved Lapis Lazuli, gold by Lin Cheung, awarded with the Herbert Hofmann Prize 2018


Amazing for me, was to see that two of the awarded artists are working with stone, which I was perceiving as this year's trend somehow around the fair, maybe as well because of the strong presence of the graduates from Idar-Oberstein with their Stands „Big Bang“ and „Astonish“.
In the special show Schmuck, every year one „Classic of Modernism“ is honored with a special showcase. This year's selected artist was Otto Künzli.


Otto Künzli honored with the Bavarian States Prize 2018.


Detail of the „Classic of Modernism“ display at SCHMUCK


Otto Künzli's work has had a lasting international impact on contemporary author jewellery,  both as an artist and as a professor at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. As a classic, Otto Künzli was invited to this year's special show "Schmuck 2018" at the Internationale Handwerksmesse. He was honored with the Bavarian State Prize for Design for his life's work.

About the author

Carolin Denter completed her training as Goldsmith at Master School for Craftsmen in Kaiserslautern in 2013. In 2015 she made an Internship at Klimt02, where she is working since 2016 as Content Manager. In 2017 she graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts in Gemstone and Jewellery at University of Applied Science Trier, Campus Idar-Oberstein. After her graduation, she started working part-time as Marketing and Design management Assistance at Campus Idar-Oberstein in the Gemstone and Jewellery Departement.