Vera Siemund

Jewellery maker

©Vera Siemund

©Miriam Yousif-Kabota

Masterpieces from fragments of history

Vera hand-cuts all her pieces
Research and drawing are a big part of her process
She was the 2013 Goldsmith Laureate in Hanau

Vera Siemund grew up near Pforzheim in Germany, a region with a long-standing tradition in goldsmithing. This and her love for painting and the liberal arts led her to a goldsmithing internship at 18 years old. Rather than training in a company, she decided to train at The National Drawing Academy in Hanau, which she considered a more versatile environment. Vera then pursued her studies with Dorothea Prühl at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle. Inspired by architecture, historic ornament, trivia and pop culture, she mainly uses iron, copper and enamel in her creations, although silver, gold and stones do appear, too. What Vera loves the most about her craft is "deciding what you create yourself, which is often gruelling."

Interview

©Vera Siemund

©Vera Siemund

Could you describe your work with fragments?: I have been working a lot with eclecticism and with older styles, which have always existed in art history. I find that very interesting. For my work, I also like to use things that have a history and stand for something specific.
How do you go about making your jewellery pieces?: I leaf through books a lot, do research, and draw – this process can take a long time. After that, I sit at my workbench for many hours. This process is possible thanks to my ability to work well and alone over extended periods of time.
Which techniques do you master?: I use traditional goldsmithing techniques like chasing, driving, mounting, enamelling and very fine sawing. I always get annoyed when my work is described as CAD-cut. That is far from my practice as I hand-saw everything
What connection do your pieces have to your environment?: They connect to the culture that directly surrounds me, which for me is the 'Christian West'. My years in Halle, directly after the German reunification certainly left their mark on me: the morbid charm of the Wilhelminian architecture, but also medieval castles, churches, and the Stadtgottesacker cemetery.

Vera Siemund is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1995