Overview

The Swiss Otto Künzli (born in 1948) revolutionised modern jewellery design and is regarded as 'one of the most intelligent and at the same time most critical artists in the world of jewelry.’ Ralph Turner: The New Jewelry, 1985/1994.

 

Over the course of his involvement with jewellery, spanning around 50 years, Otto Künzli achieved a unique status as an artist and pioneer, and also as an author and teacher, with widespread international influence. Renowned artists such as Karen Pontoppidan, Karl Fritsch, David Bielander and Lisa Walker are amongst the graduates of the jewellery class at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, which Künzli directed since 1991 as successor to Hermann Jünger.

 

Awards

1972        Swiss Applied Arts prize

1976        Werkpreis, Schule für Gestaltung, Zürich

1977        Dr. Herbert Hpffmann-Preis, Munich

1978        Swiss Applied Art prize

1980        Fine Art Award, Munich

1981         Swiss Applied Art prize

1987        ‘Förderpreis’ award for applied art, City of Munich

1990        Françoise van den Bosch Fundation Award, the Nederlands

 

Public Collections (Selection)

Bundesamt für Kultur, Bern. Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main. Die Neue Sammlung, Museum für angewandte Kunst, München. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, München. Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim. Gallery and Museum Kelvingrove. Glasgow. Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. The Detroit Art Institute, American Craft Museum, Donna Schneier Collection, New York. Israelmuseum, Jérusalem. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbjourne. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Works
Exhibitions
News