Gesine Hackenberg

Gésine Hackenberg was trained as a goldsmith in Germany and studied jewellery design at the Fachhochschule für Gestaltung Pforzheim (Germany). In 1998 she came to Amsterdam to study at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie where she graduated in 2001. Gésine mainly concentrates on developing small collections of unique pieces and mini-editions. She is fascinated by the aspect of personal preciousness that she observes in relation to all kind of belongings. Her material choices are precious metals, china (shards), textile as well as the very tough and resistant Japanese Urushi lacquer. They come from the interlocking context of household, kitchen, table and meals. These materials seem to catch and to preserve a fleeting commonplace culture that surrounds us. Her work has been exhibited in numerous international exhibitions and is included in several museum collections.

"Occasionally, the realm of jewellery and commodities shift together very closely...Objects of use often become intimately precious and indispensable to us, as it happens sometimes to a piece of jewellery that we wear day in, day out. I’m fascinated by this aspect of personal preciousness that I observe in relation to all kinds of belongings as, for example the china collections on people’s walls, might achieve a huge emotional value next to its material one. Wearing jewellery on the body is the most intimate, but also direct form of showing this specific relationship to an object. By using materials, shapes, fragments and typical patterns out of another daily context as base the for my jewellery I transfer their meaning and emotional impact in my works. The ceramic kitchen necklaces might function as a souvenir, a profane relic. They investigate what preciousness in a broader sense. "

See recent exhibition at Sienna.