Patina Gallery is honored to announce a first of its kind Soul Stirring studio jewelry event. At Patina’s invitation, the esteemed German jewelry artist, Michael Zobel, curates an exhibition of works by some of Europe’s most prominent studio jewelry artists. Within the international circles of art jewelry, all are well known and highly established. Most have works in European museum collections and some in the United States, as well.

Zobel’s reputation within the field of studio jewelry cannot be overstated. For nearly forty years, Zobel has been creating and designing the most intensely exotic jewelry of our time. His work is held in the permanent collections of European museums and is collected by the world’s most fashionable women.

Zobel’s selection of nine other artists is drawn from across Europe, Kyrgyzstan to Spain. Each artist works in a unique style and within a special vocabulary of technique and all will contribute ten signature works.

Isolde Baumhackl-Oswald (Austria) creates elegant works in mixed metals that she textures with intricate pattern. She then layers sections of fine silver with gold and then adds accents of delicate color with tiny, carved coral roses.

Wilhelm Buchert, of Germany, provides exquisitely composed, softly textured works in18k gold. Rich and understated, the embellishment is spare and perfectly restrained.

Claude Chavent, of France, will exhibit his classic, trompe-l’oeil gold and platinum pieces. Subtle surface treatments create the illusion of much greater depth and dimensionality. His jewelry is boldly contemporary and reduced to stunning effect.

Spanish artist Ramon Puig Cuyas carefully plans and sketches before beginning work on a piece. The brooches he exhibits here are dynamic compositions in silver, copper and enamel, layered over dim photographs laminated to silver. An occasional burst of color may provide accent or a single lustrous pearl might anchor the industrial tone of the work.

Enric Majoral (Spain) provides Sand Jewels, crusty rings and pendants in silver and 18k that appear crusty and rough. Each is hand carved and cast. All are one of a kind.

Gisela Seibert Philippen (Germany) provides strong, figurative pieces. One is a silver cuff bracelet that, in fact, appears to be cast from an actual shirt cuff.

Also participating in the exhibit is Karl Heinz Reister (Italy) whose pieces suggests color field studies by juxtaposing passages of precious metal with matte-finished colored stone.

Peter Schmid (Germany), Zobel’s protégé brings works that bear the distinctive Atelier Zobel mark, sophisticated and high style in sensuous combinations of gold and silver, always presented with exciting gems.

Last but not least, Victor Syrnev (Kirgysztan) exhibits works of astonishing engineering. His Metamorphosis series are brooches that indeed, metamorphose. When mounted to a box supplied with electricity, they morph, revealing first one side, then another. A single brooch, two unique faces, transforming. Michael Zobel also presents 10 works of his own with this exhibit.

Rare is the discussion of Zobel and his works that does not also include mention of his enormous and generous personality. He embodies a beautiful marriage of sophistication and warmth, a largeness of character that transcends place or nationality. It is no wonder that his works exude an opulent, sensuous confidence, for so does the man.

As part of the exhibition, the participating artists were asked to provide brief statements about

Michael Zobel. To the one, they responded with remarks about Zobel’s love of life, generosity and creativity. Typical of the statements that the artist’s provided is this from Isolde Baumhackl-Oswald, “Michael glows with creativity and is full of life. His jewellery is sexy, luxurious yet not overdone. I love Michael because he has been my friend for ever.”

Zobel envisions his jewelry as paintings in metal and stone. When considered in this way, one perceives the deftness of his treatments as deliberate decisions pertinent to beauty’s highest expression. “A piece of jewelry is, above all, a concept, an idea. If on the one hand such a concept has to be subordinated to the material, it is on the other also deeply inspired by it. Through the connection of precious metals, stones and unconventional materials, I create unique objects, which make the extraordinary, wearable. For over 30 years, this has been the stimulus and demand of my creative work."

This very important jewelry exhibition reflects a changing world and changing Santa Fe in which we now acknowledge mastery within an international arena of talent. Patina is honored to call Michael Zobel a friend, and make new ones with these esteemed artists and studio jewelers.

Michael Zobel will attend the opening on Friday, July 11, from 5:30 – 7:30.