It was at her request that this internationally renowned artist was made an honorary member of MSB. „Michael Zobel has repeatedly shown his openness and sensitivity to amber. He has visited the fairs in Gdańsk several times, and has also been a guest at the fairs in Vilnius. Amber in his hands gains attractiveness and prestige, and combined with diamonds – nobility. This is of great importance to us – and for this, we want to thank him warmly,” explained Ewa Rachoń.
Michael Zobel
The artist's career spans over three decades. For many years, he has been considered among the world's elite jewellery designers. He draws from the cultural roots and artistic richness of Morocco, where he was born, and Europe, where he developed creatively in Spain and Germany, utilising traditional forms and materials in a modern and distinctive way. He studied painting and sculpture, which is reflected in the colour palettes and spatial forms of his designs, lending them a museum-quality appeal. In the late 1990s, he was a guest at AMBERIF twice, first as an honoured guest and then as a juror for the Amberif Design Award – an international competition for amber jewellery design. He also participated in the jury of the Mercurius Gedanensis Jewellery Competition during the Amberif 2013 trade fair.
Michael Zobel gladly uses amber in his works. It was this very stone that he dedicated his special millennium exhibition to in 2000, which he presented at the Amberif trade fair. „For me, this stone is fascinating, especially when compared to a diamond, which is the hardest stone, with amber, which is considered very delicate. And even if it is ‘only’ fossilised resin, for me it is a gemstone – because for me all beautiful stones are precious gems,” he said (in an interview for the portal amber.com.pl). „All beautiful stones are precious.”In his works, amber often acts as a lens, focusing attention on what lies beneath it.
In March this year, Michael Zobel donated a silver ring adorned with Baltic amber to the Amber Museum in Gdańsk. This is the third work by him to be held in the institution's collection: in 2007, a brooch and a bracelet were purchased for the contemporary art collection.
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