Sigurd Bronger

Jewellery maker

©Sigurd Bronger

©Karl Ivan Frøstad Nes

The engineering artisan

Sigurd’s work defies definition
He made a brooch from gallstones
He exhibited at Galerie Ra for 37 years

Imagine merging the skills of a master goldsmith with a fascination for scientific instruments of the Renaissance and an uncompromising commitment to artistic renewal, and you may just be able to imagine the works of Sigurd Bronger. For 40 years his passion for craftsmanship and endless curiosity has driven him to seek new forms of expression on the borderline between jewellery, art, design and engineering. Sigurd’s highly conceptual work defies definition and has always baffled his fellow Norwegians. It has more in common with contemporary art than decorative jewellery and goldsmith art. Though clearly an artisan, Sigurd himself prefers the title of “engineering artist”.

Interview

©Karl Ivan Frøstad Nes

What is your connection with the Netherlands?: I studied gold and silversmithing there, and was inspired by the work of Mondrian, and the STIJL. The art collection of Stedlijk Museum (Museum of contemporary Art ) in Amsterdam was an important inspiration for my art education. Galerie Ra in Amsterdam opened my eyes to what contemporary jewellery art could be.
How important has Galerie Ra been for you?: Indispensible! After four years and seven attempts, Ra accepted my work, and was my exclusive gallery from 1983-2020. A gallery relationship which has been vital for my artistic career . I have now started a collaboration with Neue Sammlung (Design Museum) ,Munich where they will show my work in 2023.
How did your artistic breakthrough happen?: The Crafts in Dialogue exhibition at Stockholm’s National Museum in 2005 and the lecture at the Neue Sammlung, Munich in 2009 was my international breakthrough. At home, it was my retrospective exhibition (Balloon Voyage) at Lillehammer Art Museum in 2011.
Is your work tinged with playfulness?: Yes. One example is the brooch featuring my mother’s gallstones on display at the Stockholm National Museum; another is my Cuckoo Clock with an egg, a commission for the Norwegian Government Representational Buildings, Oslo.

Sigurd Bronger is an expert artisan he began his career in 1983