1948 Born 22 July in Zurich, Switzerland
1965-1970 Schule für Gestaltung Zürich, Metals class (Max Fröhlich, Fritz Loosli)
1970 Final apprenticeship exam as goldsmith
1970-1972 Work in different workshops in Zurich (Günther Wyss), Bern (Othmar Zschaler) and Munich (Prof. Hermann Jünger)
1972 Marriage to the goldsmith Therese Hilbert
1972 Move to Ingelsberg in Bavaria
1972-1978 Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, class for goldsmiths' ar t with Prof. Hermann Jünger
1974 Participation in the international symposium Schmuck aus Stahl in Austria Since 1975 Workshop and residence in Munich
1976 Participation at the jeweller y and culinar y symposium of Galerie Alberstraße, Graz
1976 Birth of daughter Miriam
1978 Diploma at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München
1981 Publication of the manifesto «Gerd Rothmann sagt: / Otto Künzli sagt:» in the November issue of gold + silber / uhren + schmuck
1984 Selection and organisation of the German contribution to the exhibition Cross Currents, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, The Crafts Board of the Australia Council
1991 Appointment as professor at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, chair in goldsmiths' ar t
1992 Honorary fellow of Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Israel
1992 Jury member for the Françoise van den Bosch Prize 1992, 's-Her togenbosch, the Netherlands
1993 Conception and implementation of the exhibition and catalogue Schmuck: Die Sammlung der Danner-Stiftung with Dr Michael Koch (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum) for the Galerie für angewandte Kunst, Bayerischer Kunstgewerbe-Verein, Munich
1993 Jury member for the Danner Prize 1993, Bamberg
1994-2015 Member of the purchasing commission for the Jeweller y Collection of the Danner-Stiftung, Munich
2000 Visiting fellow and ar tist in residence at the Cur tin University of Technology, Perth, Australia
2001 Member of the Peer Review of the Fachhochschulen der Schweiz
2001 Idee and realisation of the international exhibition Mikromegas with 219 decorative pins from 219 ar tists from 25 countries. Locations: Galerie für angewandte Kunst, Munich, Germany; Museum of Ar ts and Design, New York, USA; Musée de l'horlogerie et de l'émaillerie, Geneva, Switzerland; Galler y YU, Tokyo, Japan; Powerhouse Museum, Sydney; John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia; Oratorio di San Rocco, Padua, Italy
2002 OZGold. The lonely only Award Judge, Sydney, Australia
2004 With Prof. Hermann Jünger, design for the opening presentation of the Jewellery Room of the Danner Rotunda, Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
2008 Conception for the exhibition and publication Des Wahnsinns fette Beute in Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich
2008-2012 Visiting professor at the Royal College of Ar t, London, Department for Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jeweller y
2010 Ar tist in Residence, Konstfack, Stockholm, Sweden
2010 Conception for the exhibition Copy and Paste as the contribution of the Akademie der Bildenden Künste München to the international project The Power of Copying in the Xuzhou Museum of Art, China.
2014 Danner Rotunde. Neu. New conception of the jewellery room of the Danner Rotunda, Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
2014 Professor emeritus, Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, Germany
2014 Visiting Artist at the CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland
(...)
Solo Exhibitions:
1979 Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim, Germany; Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau, Germany; and Galerie Alberstrasse, Graz, Austria (trav. exh. until 1980; with Therese Hilbert)
1980 Schmuckhaus, Darmstadt-Eberstadt, Germany (with Therese Hilbert)
1981 Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1981 Galerie Academia, Salzburg, Austria (with Therese Hilbert)
1982
Körperkultur. Otto Künzli, Gerd Rothmann. Galerie am Graben, Vienna, Austria; and Landesmuseum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte, Oldenburg, Germany (trav. exh.)
1982
Tapetenbroschen. Schaufenster Nr. 34, Munich, Germany
1983
Das Schweizer Gold – Die Deutsche Mark. Künstlerwerkstatt Lothringerstrasse 13, Munich, Germany
1983
Kollektion Künzli 1983. Tapetenbroschen von Otto Künzli. Deutsches Tapetenmuseum Kassel, Germany
1984
Kunstmanifestatie ’84. Galerie Ra / De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (with Willem Honing)
1984
Broschen aus Tapete. Galerie Mattar, Cologne, Germany
1985
Moderner Schmuck. Galerie Hermanns, Munich, Germany (with Gijs Bakker and Manfred Nisslmüller)
1986
Fragments. Therese Hilbert – Otto Künzli. Jewellery 1976-1986. Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia, USA
1986
Fragmenten. Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1987
3 / Otto Künzli – Schmuck. VITRINE, Maximilianstra.e 30, Munich, Germany
1989
Everything Goes to Pieces. Rezac Gallery, Chicago, USA
1989 Otto Künzli / Gijs Bakker. Galerie Ra, KunstRai, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1990 Otto Künzli. Françoise van den Bosch Prijs 1990. Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1991
Augenblick. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
1991
Het derde oog. Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1991
Das dritte Auge. Museum Bellerive, Zurich, Switzerland
1992
The Third Eye. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, UK
1992
Oh, say! Ezra and Cecilie Zilkha Gallery, Center for the Arts, Wesleyan University, Middletown, USA
1993
Good Morning America. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
1993
Coraçao & Co. Galeria Contacto Directo, Lisbon, Portugal
1993
We 3. Galler y YU, Tokyo, Japan (with Joke Brakman and Kazuhiro Itoh)
1995
Het Ding. Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1996
Drei Birken im Schnee – Tre Bjerk i Sne. RAM Galleri, Oslo, Norway
1997
The Jewellery Case. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
1998
Cozticteocuitlatl 1995-1998 B.M. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany; Galerie Sofie Lachaert, Antwerp, Belgium; Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Kunstforum, Kirchberg/Bern, Switzerland (trav. exh.)
1998
Freunde. Galerie Ra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
1998
Förgätmigej. Galleri hnoss, Gothenburg, Sweden
2000
Australian Diary. John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia
2002
O sole mio. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
2002 Who Nose? Happening. Gallery YU, Tokyo, Japan
2003
A Red Heart Can’t Be Wrong. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia
2003
Who Nose? Happening. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia; Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia; Gully Lounge, Auckland, Australia; and Pataka Museum, Wellington, New Zealand
2004
Schmuck aus 37 Ländern. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
2004
Otto Künzli. La Chaufferie, Strasbourg, France
2006
Change – Schmuck aus 38 Ländern. Galerie S O, Solothurn, Switzerland
2007
Wie Du Mir – So Ich Dir. Therese Hilbert, Otto Künzli – ein Intermezzo. Ecke Galerie, Augsburg, Germany
2008
Personale. Galleria Maurer Zilioli Contemporary Arts, Brescia, Italy
2009
Otto Künzli – π. Galerie Wittenbrink, Munich, Germany
2009
Orbit. Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
2010
Leonids and Fumerols. Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Australia (with Therese Hilbert)
2011 Presentation at the award of the Golden Ring of Honor of the Association of Goldsmiths’ Art, Hanau, Germany
2013
Otto Künzli. Die Ausstellung. Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum ½ Pinakothek der Moderne München, Germany
2013
Otto Künzli. For Sale. Gallerie Wittenbrink, München, Germany
2014
Otto Künzli. L’exposition. Bijou de 1967 à 2012. mudac, Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, Switzerland
2015
Otto Künzli. The Exhibition. Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Work in public Collections:
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Gemeentelijk van Reekummuseum, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany
Bundesamt für Kultur, Bern, Switzerland
Kantonale Sammlung angewandte Kunst, Kornhausforum, Bern, Switzerland
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Bern, Switzerland
Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, Booragul, NSW, Australia
Museum of Fine Arts, The Farago Collection, Boston, USA
Collection de la Ville de Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
Canberra Institute of the Arts, Canberra, Australia
National Gallery of Canberra, Australien
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, USA
The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, USA
Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Galler y, Glasgow, UK
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau, Germany
Designmuseo, Helsinki, Finland
SM’s – Stedelijk Museum, ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
The Museum of Fine Arts, The Helen Williams Drutt Collection, Houston, USA
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Deutsches Tapetenmuseum, Kassel, Germany
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan
mudac – Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, Switzerland
Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Grassi Museum für angewandte Kunst, Leipzig, Deutschland
Conran Foundation Collection, Design Museum, London, UK
The Royal College of Art Collection, London, UK
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Cleveland Crafts Centre, Cleveland County Collection, Middlesbrough, UK
mima – Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough, UK
Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Germany
Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Dauerleihgabe der Danner-Stiftung, Munich, Germany
Münchner Stadtmuseum, Munich, Germany
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany
Museum of Arts and Design, New York, USA
Museum of Arts and Design, The Donna Schneier Collection, New York, USA
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Donna Schneier Collection, New York, USA
Le Ministère de la Culture, Centre National des Arts, Paris, France
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim, Germany
Schmuckmuseum im Reuchlinhaus, Pforzheim, Dauerleihgabe des Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, Stuttgart, Germany
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia
The Hiko Mizuno Collection, Tokyo, Japan
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim, Norway
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zurich, Switzerland
Awards and Prizes:
1972 Stipend of the Federal Depar tment of Home Affairs, Bern, Switzerland
1975 1st Prize in the Design-Wettbewerb Music Award, Deutsche Phono-Akademie, Hamburg, Germany
1976 Achievement Award of the Schule für Gestaltung Zürich, Switzerland
1977 Herber t Hofmann Memorial Award, Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany
1978 Stipend from the Federal Depar tment of Home Affairs, Bern, Switzerland
1980 Stipend for Fine Ar ts of the State Capital Munich, Germany
1981 Stipend from the Federal Depar tment of Home Affairs, Bern, Switzerland
1986 Sponsorship Award from the Prinzregent-Luitpold-Stiftung, Munich, Germany
1987 Sponsorship Award for the Applied Ar ts of the State Capital Munich, Germany
1990 Françoise van den Bosch Prize, the Netherlands
2008 Red Dot Award Communication Design for the exhibition design Des Wahnsinns fette Beute. Schmuck an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste München: Die Klasse Künzli. Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Germany
2008 Winner of the 2nd Galler y Funaki International Jeweller y Award, Melbourne, Australia
2010 German Design Award, Silver, for the exhibition Des Wahnsinns fette Beute. Schmuck an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste München: Die Klasse Künzli. Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich, Germany
2010 Grand Prix Design of the Swiss Confederation, Federal Office for Culture, Bern, Switzerland
2011 Ring of Honor from the Association for Goldsmiths’ Ar t, Hanau, Germany
2014 Entry in the Golden Book oft he City of Hanau, Germany