In the very first issue of Art Aurea, which was published in autumn 1985, Jürgen Claus wrote in a guest commentary about a “sensational expansion and extension of the idea and reality of jewelry, which is in no way inferior to the expansion of art as has taken place since the 1960s.” Jürgen Claus (1935–2023) worked as a visual artist, taught at various academies and authored numerous books on media art and art theory. As early as 1975, he created artificial underwater gardens and later devoted himself to the theme of the Solar Age.
Why did Helen Britton become an artist? Perhaps because she was allowed to play in this house as a child with her godmother. Photo: Helen Britton.
That this multifaceted visionary wrote so extensively about the art jewelry of the 1980s testifies to the euphoria and pioneering spirit of that era. Although this fervor has subsided in jewelry and in all other areas of the applied arts, the development continues and has long since borne fruit worldwide. In contemporary jewelry, for example, it has given rise to such a versatile artist as Helen Britton. Born in Australia in 1960, she has lived and worked in Munich since graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts. Her oeuvre convincingly demonstrates the “expansion and broadening of the idea and reality of jewelry” that Jürgen Claus described. Her recently published book, The Story So Far, was the impetus for our cover story.
In the 1980s and 1990s, individual jewelry designers established themselves in German-speaking countries. One of the most successful is Angela Hübel, pictured here in her Munich workshop. Photo: Ulrike Myrzik.
Angela Hübel is likewise a prominent figure in the new jewelry culture that emerged towards the end of the 20th century. Like Helen Britton, she studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. She founded her studio in 1989. Although jewelry design and unique artistic pieces were highly valued at that time, Angela Hübel consciously chose a career as a designer. Her innovative rings, exhibited in leading galleries across Europe, exemplify the cultural shift that many individual workshops have brought about since then. Read about what sets Angela Hübels’ designs apart, how her successful jewelry is created, and what she has to say in the winter 2025 issue of Art Aurea.
Dietlind Wolf from Lübeck designed fabrics for haute couture and was a lecturer, stylist, and photographer before discovering ceramic art.
The most recent Grassi Fair concluded at the end of October with a record number of visitors. With 8,680 guests, the museum in Leipzig welcomed around twenty percent more visitors than in previous years. One of the exhibitors was Dietlind Wolf from Lübeck. She studied visual communication, designed fabrics for haute couture fashion, taught in Hamburg and worked for many years as a stylist and photographer before discovering ceramic vessels as another medium for her work. You can also read about the connection between her work and the so-called Brick Gothic architecture of the former Hanseatic capital in the new Art Aurea Magazine.
The new jewelry, wrote Jürgen Claus in our first edition in 1985, demonstrates the creative drive of a new generation. This creative urge is a characteristic of self-determined, creative people. It is an expression of freedom and humanity. But it is precisely these values that are currently being trampled on or are hanging in the balance in many countries. At the very least, art, craftsmanship, and design can play a part in preserving them.
Curators‘ Choice
This section regularly presents five internationally renowned artists and their latest works at the intersection of art, craftsmanship, and design. The selection is made by Ingrid Rügemer in collaboration with selected curators.
Rony Plesl. With his glass objects, the Prague-based artist combines contemporary forms with traditional craftsmanship, bringing history to life. Curator: Lucie Drdová, art historian and gallery owner, Prague.
Jérôme Pereira. The French artist explores the invisible laws that govern our world. His lights make gravity and time tangible as forms. Curator: Ygaël Attali, co-founder of Galerie Philia, Geneva, New York, and Singapore.
Susan Maddux. Her textile wall objects carry the memory of her Japanese heritage and the landscapes of Hawaii. Curator: Lesa Griffith, Honolulu Museum of Art.
Helga Ritsch. The Swiss artist creates porcelain vessels, installations, and images of meditative quality. Francesco Sciuchetti, gallery owner of Galerie Palü, Pontresina, Switzerland.
Sometimes materials help transform a creative goldsmith into an artist. Brooch Gleicher Ursprung (Same Origin), 2021. Amber, charcoal, silver, 5.5 x 4 x 1.5 cm. Photo Susanne Elstner.
Susanne Elstner. Fascinating natural processes become visible in her clearly designed jewelry made of charcoal and amber. Curator: Hannah Rembeck, gallery owner, Galerie Hannah Rembeck, Regensburg.
Review
Jan Bontjes van Beek. He was a sculptor, dancer, and ceramist. His life reflects the highs and lows of 20th-century German history.
Erfurt Jewelry Summer. About the youngest city goldsmith and the legendary Erfurt Jewelry Symposium.
Future horizons. For 25 years, the Alexander Tutsek Foundation in Munich has been collecting contemporary photography, sculptures, and glass installations.
Artists of the gallery. Hilde Leiss presents inspiring handicrafts and applied art at the end of the year.
The jewelry by Ryungaje Jung, South Korea, is refreshingly unconventional. An example of the creative diversity in Hilde Leiss’s exhibition. © Ryungaje Jung.
7,000 years of ceramic history. The International Ceramics Museum in Weiden is displaying its treasures after undergoing modernization.
The latest issue of Art Aurea has 92 pages, including the cover, as usual. It is designed and printed like an art book and is available in leading galleries and shops for applied art and jewelry.
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