SCHMUCKmünchen 2026

SCHMUCK München 2026

In March 2026, I had the honour of participating in SCHMUCK München 2026, one of the most prestigious international exhibitions for contemporary jewellery. Held during the Internationale Handwerksmesse in Munich from March 4–8, the exhibition once again positioned the city as a global epicentre for avant-garde jewellery practice.

Organised by the Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern and the Danner Foundation, with support from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, SCHMUCK is widely recognized as a key platform for artistic jewellery. This year’s edition was particularly competitive: 1,046 applications from 68 countries were submitted, from which curator Sam Tho Duong selected just 69 works representing 29 countries.

As Sam Tho Duong reflects in his curatorial statement:
“When selecting jewellery for an exhibition, it is essential for me to appreciate both craftsmanship and avant-garde creativity. The pieces selected should either be masterfully crafted to show high regard for traditional craftsmanship, and/or innovative and original to represent the avant-garde. New designs, unusual materials or innovative techniques should contribute to making the exhibition exciting and contemporary.”

I was invited to exhibit my brooch “The Second After – Chocolate (2025)”, created from naturally tanned reindeer leather and light clay using sculpting, embossing, and wet-molding techniques. The piece refers to a fleeting but universally recognizable moment – the instant after an ice cream falls to the ground. It is a small catastrophe, but one that shifts our attention away from the event itself and towards what happens next. In this way, the work explores transformation, perception, and response.

It felt both wonderful and slightly surreal to discover that The Second After – Chocolate was also chosen as the cover image for the exhibition catalogue. As the visual starting point of SCHMUCKmünchen 2026, the cover reflects the exhibition’s broader interest in process, change, and contemporary approaches to jewellery.

Alongside SCHMUCK, I also showed additional work with Platina and Sofia Björkman at Schmuck Frame. Sofia Björkman’s own piece “Camouflage”, made with crab shells, which was also selected for Schmuck 2026, can be seen in the booth next to mine.

Being present in Munich during the exhibition was an incredibly valuable experience for me, made possible through the generous support of Konstnärsnämnden – The Swedish Arts Grants Committee. The visibility of the exhibition opened up many conversations and encounters with colleagues, friends, and new contacts from across the field. It was an inspiring and energizing environment, full of exchange and curiosity.

What continues to strike me most is the openness and generosity within the contemporary jewellery field. SCHMUCK is not only an exhibition, it is a meeting point, a place where ideas circulate, evolve, and take new form. Leaving Munich this year, I felt both grateful and inspired. New ideas are already beginning to grow, and while it is always a little sad when it ends, I am already looking forward to what comes next.

With support of the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.