Alphabets for Rings
9. September 9, 2022—22. October 22, 2022
Rob Koudijs presents the first show with works by Esther Brinkmann in his Amsterdam Gallery.
‘All my rings deal with the space between the ring and the finger, their position on the hand, the room within the construction of a piece, and matters like weight and texture’.
By concerning herself with these themes, she has built up a personal Alphabet of motives and models. The results will never cease to surprise, because she uses both precious metals and iron – she loves working in unruly materials – and she employs a great variation of techniques, ranging from forging and casting, to assembling and knitting. Since she spent many years in China and India, the minimalistic principles that had been the artists guideline for many years – both in construction, finishes and decorative elements – were greatly enriched by her encounter with these countries. All of a sudden colourful, figurative elements popped up, and so are jades and unconventionally cut gemstones, which demanded their spot in the limelight. Brinkmann concentrated in her most recent work on ‘gestures’ encircling the finger. Rings executed in iron turned out to be tough and rugged, occasionally softened by gold components, however the space around a finger was also investigated in fluid shapes build up in precious metals.
We are happy that the first comprehensive monograph on Esther Brinkmann’s work appears just in time to be presented on occasion of the exhibition.
