Patrik Muff

Jewellery maker

©Brecheis

Symbolic jewellery

Patrik models in wax for the lost wax casting tradition
By the age of 14, he was looking for an apprenticeship as a goldsmith
His jewellery is designed to be worn often

Patrik Muff grew up in a small village near Lucerne in a family of craftspeople. His father worked as a cabinet maker, while his mother painted porcelain. Growing up, he made pendants and earrings with objects he found in the school playground and tools from his parents' workshops. At the age of 14, he started to train as a goldsmith. After training for four years, he worked for a jeweller in Zug, where he became acquainted with Brigitte Moser's jewellery gallery and the work of Peter Skubic. This led him to study jewellery design at the TH Cologne, and later to open his own jewellery gallery, the 4th King, in the centre of Cologne with two fellow students. "Jewellery is a status symbol for me in the sense that it reveals something about the wearer," he says of his philosophy. Whether commissioned work, a single piece or a small series, Patrik's jewellery is designed to be personal to each wearer and to draw attention to their individuality.

Interview

©Brecheis

©Brecheis

What inspires you?: I am very visual, and I consume a lot of content visually, whether it is on the internet, in magazines, or in other media. However, I am especially inspired by looking at people and enjoy observing how they choose their clothes and wear their jewellery.
Do you master special techniques?: I am very skilled at working with wax. In my jewellery, I like to interpret symbols, as well as different animal and plant forms using my own visual language. To create these figurative works, I often use the lost wax casting technique, for which I make a wax model first.
Do you produce collections and series?: I'm happy that I don't have to offer two collections a year like in fashion. Nonetheless, I really enjoy making collections. I release a comprehensive collection including earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces. I often develop smaller series from these.
How are the tasks distributed there?: Since I am a passionate goldsmith, I am very fortunate that my business is set up in a way that I can work on the board every day and my main task is to be creative. Patrik Muff is a small team of six people. We have a contact person for every area of the company, my wife handles public relations, which also includes the webdesign, photos and all graphics.

Patrik Muff is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1990