The Federal Office of Culture has named jewellery designer and
artist David Bielander as one of three winners of this year’s Swiss Grand Award for Design. With its selection, the Federal Design Commission recognises the work of three outstanding designers who have played a defining role in cultural creativity in Switzerland.
David Bielander translates simple everyday objects into exceptional pieces of artist jewellery, opening up unexpected lines of communication for both wearer and viewer...
David Bielander (born 1968) develops intriguing jewellery pieces that defy user expectations and push the limits of what an ornament can be. Following apprenticeships in Basel and Schwäbisch Gmünd, Bielander enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he studied under professor Otto Künzli. He has since developed an unconventional, self-lead path where experimentation abounds, precious materials are subverted and pushed to the limit, and the user is intentionally pushed out of his comfort zone. Bielander lives and works in Munich, and his work has been shown in galleries and museums around the world.
The Confederation grants Bielander a Swiss Grand Award for Design in recognition of unconventional point of view and his critical method, which yield unconventional and striking results that set him at the forefront of international jewellery design. Prior to the Grand Award, Bielander has won the Swiss Design Award in 2012.
Launched in 2007 and endowed with CHF 40,000 in each case, the Swiss Grand
Award for Design highlights the work of well-known designers that exemplifies the quality and relevance of Swiss design practice