From Louise Bourgeois to Yoko Ono Jewellery by Female Artists

Through its proximity to the body, its tactile nature, and performative quality, jewelry resists the restriction to traditional forms of presentation within the white cube. It is worn and seen, simultaneously personal and performative. Over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, artists have not only transformed the medium through their experimental use of materials, but have also redefined the dialogue between artwork, wearer, and viewer. In some of the most radical forms of expression in modern and contemporary art, jewelry occupies a central position.

The works shown in the book offer an insight into art movements from the 1920s to the present day – from Meret Oppenheim and Aube Elléouet, icons of the Surrealist movement, to the celebrated conceptual art of Alicja Kwade. They reflect artistic trends of the time and simultaneously open up surprising perspectives on the oeuvre of the individual artists.

The publication focuses on female positions and breaks with the male-dominated perception of avant-garde artist jewelry. Each of the works shown condenses an artistic vision into a wearable statement. Formally, some pieces impress with their minimalist aesthetic, others with their expressive, sculptural presence or playful humor.

Presented in alphabetical order, the breadth and diversity of positions in international jewelry art become visible – in the tension between autonomous artwork and functional object as wearable art (Art to Wear). Each illustration of the individual works is accompanied by explanatory texts that contextualize the pieces. An introduction by Louisa Guinness situates them within the art history of the 20th and 21st centuries and makes it clear: “Contemporary female artists are expanding the meaning of jewelry beyond its purely decorative function and making it an important medium for exploring anew how art permeates and transforms life.”


With its exhibition of the same name, the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (MAKK; Museum of Applied Arts, Cologne) deliberately focuses on female standpoints, thus breaking with the male-dominated perception of avant-garde art jewelry.


Artists: Lynda Benglis, Pierrette Bloch, Barbara Bloom, Katinka Bock, Louise Bourgeois, Helen Britton, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Claudia Comte, Sheila Concari, Sonia Delaunay-Terk, Nathalia Edenmont, Aube Elléouët, Claire Falkenstein, Ruth Francken, Marcia Grostein, Jenny Holzer, Rebecca Horn, Annabelle d’Huart, Leiko Ikemura, Margit Jäschke, Jacqueline de Jong, Alicja Kwade, Claude Lalanne, Liliane Lijn, Rita McBride, Blanca Muñoz, Brigitte NaHoN, E.R. Nele, Louise Nevelson, Michele Oka Doner, Yoko Ono, Meret Oppenheim, Françoise Pétrovitch, Armelle de Sainte Marie, Niki de Saint Phalle, Elodie Seguin, Maïlys Seydoux-Dumas, Kiki Smith, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Dorothea Tanning, Rosemarie Trockel, Paloma Varga Weisz, Sophia Vari, Joana Vasconcelos, Zhou Yiyan

Exhibition: MAKK – Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (DE), 21.11.2025–26.04.2026