Susanne Elstner at the Scheytt Gallery

Scheytt Gallery in Schwabing has enriched Munich’s multifaceted jewelry scene since the end of 2016. The gallery focuses on the rich variety of individual workshops in Munich and its surrounding area. But Brigitte and Isabel Scheytt “want to bring them together with other arts,” so the Scheytts regularly stage solo exhibitions of contemporary painting, photographic art, graphic art and sculpture.

These two sisters also strive for a better world. For example, they made their gallery space available at the end of 2018 to the Capricorn Foundation, which fights against the genital mutilation of young girls. Jewelry from Kenya was shown during the lecture. Scheytt Gallery will also be present during Jewelry Week at the International Crafts Fair: an exhibit of works by Marie Ishikawa and Mia Maljojoki in 2018 will be followed this year by Susanne Elstner’s show “From the Ashes.”

Susanne Elstner, necklace. Charcoal, silver.

Susanne Elstner, brooch. Charcoal, 750 gold.

Susanne Elstner, a master goldsmith who lives and works in Munich, trained in Neugablonz from 1981 to 1984. Later she continued her education under Erico Nagai and Giovanni Corvaja at the Academy of Design. She has worked as a freelance goldsmith in Gräfelfing since 1995. The way Susanne Elstner uses charcoal for expressive necklaces and brooches is unparalleled anywhere in the world. She makes the charcoal herself from larch wood because the larch tree’s annual rings result in especially interesting structures.

The complex process begins with the choosing the pieces of wood and the cut, which determine the subsequent shape. The material’s thickness and the meticulous charring process also contribute to the final appearance. Susanne Elstner developed a process to stabilize the charcoal so it can undergo further processing without blackening other surfaces. The exhibition displays pieces of jewelry in frames hung on the wall so that after they have been worn, the pieces of jewelry needn’t disappear into a drawer, but can continue to be admired as works of visual art.

further works by Susanne Elstner