1955 born in Kierspe, Germany
1978 became personal assistant and workshop manager of Friedrich Becker
1990 opened his own workshop; developed jewellery collection “Stainless Steel and Brilliant”
Since 2004 - increased activity as a freelance sculptor
Günter Wermekes lives in Kierspe and Cologne.
Die Neue Sammlung, München
Sammlung Alice u. Louis Koch
BMW, Hagri, Henrich + Denzel, Niessing, Rodenstock, Tecnolumen, Ventura
Designpreis NRW, Platinum Design of the Year, Auszeichnung für hohe Designqualität, Designzentrum NRW
In 1990, Günter Wermekes transported minimalism into jewellery design using stainless steel.
He was the first designer to offer a complete collection made of stainless steel and diamonds. His decision to combine modernity’s favourite material with the hardest and most expensive of all precious gems was very deliberate. “The diamond takes millions of years to develop. It embodies the earth’s past. Stainless steel is the stuff of builders and architects. It symbolizes the created culture of the present.”
About minimalism Wermekes says: “Minimalism means reducing things to their true essence, so that we see and experience that essence in the process.”
The sculptures of Günter Wermekes are clear, reduced, and architectonic. Massive bodies of corroded steel hover over delicate steel rods delineating a transparent volume that vibrates with the movement of the beholder.
Website
www.wermekes.de
