2018 Catalogue Archive

German artist Ike Jünger explores the contemporary potential of enamel, an old technique in which powdered glass is fused to metal by firing it at high temperatures. Brooch is a contrast of three rectangles of different colors, textures and dimensions, in which Jünger highlights the optical effects and subtle transformations that unfold as the viewer pays attention to the work. ‘Enamel is such a versatile material’, says Jünger. ‘It comes in all colors and consistencies—from opaque to transparent—and can be applied to all kinds of surfaces. You can give it a shiny touch or make it rough and crackled, apply it thick and evenly, or brush it on ever so lightly. It can have the appearance of a quiet lake or of rough tree bark. For me the limits of enamel lie in the craftsmanship, in the technique of enameling. It’s a constant challenge.’ Ike Jünger trained at the Staatlichen Fachschule für Glas und Schmuck in Neugablonz, Germany, then studied jewelry at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and painting at the Ryksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten, both in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her work is featured in a number of museums in Europe, including the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, the Goldschmiedehaus in Hanau, Germany, the Grassi Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Leipzig, Germany, and the V&A Museum in London.