Michael Zobel

Hailed by all his contemporaries as the Master of the Contemporary Movement in jewelry, Zobel has inspired so many younger artists to think outside the norm, use outrageous metals and techniques and never follow convention.

Michael Zobel may be described as a cosmopolitan of a modern kind: Born in 1942 in Tangier, Morocco, grown up in Barcelona, Spain, followed by an apprenticeship as a goldsmith (1958-1961) and then a degree in art and design at the School for Design in Pforzheim (1961-1964). His teacher, Professor Ullrich, "opened his eyes and showed him the possibilities of jewellery design and the potentialities of forging gold". From 1965 on he worked as a designer of jewellery in the studio of Henry Denys in France. In 1968 Zobel returned to Germany to open his shop in Constance.

Michael Zobel gained international acceptance because of his inventiveness and ideas. Already for many years, he has been a member of "Aspects", an acclaimed cadre of select jewellery designers. Even without deeply knowing Michael Zobel's work, his many international awards and prizes show that what he does can be called international art, maybe it is even more appropriate to say: world art. Without any doubt, his works are internationally recognized and of the highest standard.

In September 2003 he was appointed honorary professor of the National University for architecture, construction and transport in Kyrgyzstan. For several years now, Michael Zobel has taken part in an international, UNESCO- supported project called "The Great Silk Route: A Dialogue between East and West", which organizes exhibitions in various cities in Asia and Europe.