KARL FRITSCH
Karl Fritsch began his education at the Goldsmiths School in Pforzheim and studying at the Academy of Fine Arts (1987-1994) in Munich. Fritsch has taught in art schools across the world, exhibited internationally and his work has been acquired for public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the National Gallery of Victoria and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. A practice that focuses on the ring, Fritsch explores taste, aesthetics and desire as he manipulates perceived ideas of preciousness and convention. The highly covetable rings have seen him win numerous awards and become a cult figure in contemporary jewellery. He also works collaboratively with a range of artists, including artist Francis Upritchard and furniture designer Martino Gamper. In 2006 he received the highly prestigious international Françoise van den Bosch Award.
„My approach to designing jewelry is very much based on the making… I keep testing what [metals] allow me to do and what they are comfortable with. When I start making, my brain starts joining in and ideas evolve within the process. There is an important element of accident.“ Karl Fritsch