Franz Bette has been considering matters of design and critically examining the composition of jewellery, especially its conceptual and artistic formulation, for over 50 years. Apart from creating his own pieces, it is of great importance to him to convey artistic possibilities in the field of general design, product design and jewellery. Because of this interest and expectation, teaching engagements around the world prove moreover the worldwide esteem for his abilities.
|Curriculum Vitae|
1941 Born in Bottrop, Germany
1960-1963 Düsseldorf, Germany, Gold and silversmith education with Professor Friedrich Becker – Master Student
1963-1966 Zurich, Switzerland, Goldsmith & designer, Meinrad Burch-Korrodi
1967-1970 Kilkenny, Ireland, National Design Center, Head of Precious Metal Department
1970-1973 Lucerne, Switzerland, Designer, Bucherer
1973-1994 Düsseldorf, Germany, established own design studios and workshop
1973-1975 Geneva, Switzerland, Designer, Omega
1976-1985 Düsseldorf, Germany, Fachhochschule (advanced technical college) lecturer
1985-2006 Hanau, Germany, Staatliche Zeichenakademie, leader of Master Class for Jewellery and Hollow-ware
1989+1990 Bangkok, Thailand, “Advanced Jewellery Design”, Seminar leader (European Union Trade Development Programme)
1992 Melbourne, Australia, RMIT University and Canberra, Australia, ANU, School of Art, workshops (Goethe Institute)
1997-2001 Offenbach, Germany, Hochschule für Gestaltung (HFG), Studies and Diploma
2005 Hong Kong, China, Design Symposium: Presentation and Workshop
2008-2009 Hong Kong, China, Design Institute, lecturer
2011-2014 Hong Kong, China, Design Institute, lecturer
2012 Jin Ze Arts Centre, Shanghai, China, New Wave Metal Symposium, lecture
2014 Yingge, Taiwan, National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI), Workshop
2015-2017 Taipei, Taiwan, Thermos Foundation, Studio 94, Workshops
2017 Tainan, Taiwan, Tainan National University of the Arts, Workshop
Member of Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst, (Goldsmiths Society); Juror for national and international competitions
|Awards|
1968 New York, USA, De Beers Diamond International Award
1971 Geneva, Switzerland, Trophy of the City of Geneva
1974 Pforzheim, Germany, Dugena Jewellery and Design Competition, two 1st prizes
New York, USA, De Beers Diamonds Today – Men’s Ring
1983 Basel, Switzerland, International Platinum Competition, 2nd prize
1983 Düsseldorf, Germany, State Prize of Nordrhein-Westfalen
1986 Bensheim, Germany, Gertrud Eysoldt Ring, 1st prize
Gertrud Eysoldt Ring
|Solo Exhibitions|
1977-1990 Düsseldorf, Germany, annual exhibitions in own studio
1980 Dallas, USA, Hyatt Regency; Düsseldorf, Germany, Städtische Kellergalerie
1981 Houston, USA, Hyatt Regency
1982 Düsseldorf, Germany, VEBA house
1988 Hanau, Germany, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus
1990 Coburg, Germany, Coburger Kunst Verein e.V.
2003 Schriesheim, Germany, Schmuck Haus
2007 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Museum of Applied Art
2008 Munich, Germany, Gallery Maurer-Zilioli
2014 Taipei, Taiwan, National Taiwan Museum-Nanmen Park – NTCRI
|Selected group exhibitions, since 2004|
2004 Hanau, Germany, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Ausgepackt/Unpacked
2008 Munich, Germany, Maurer–Zilioli Contemporary Arts, Schmuck Extreme
2009 Munich, Germany, Kunstbüro Reillplast, Maurer – Zilioli Contemporary Arts, Pillow Jewellery
2010 Munich, Germany, Kunstbüro Reillplast, Maurer – Zilioli Contemporary Arts, The Box
2012 New Taipei City, Taiwan, Gold Museum, German Contemporary Metal Crafts
Beijing, China, cafa Art Museum, “10 Years - Re: jewellery” Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition
2015 Taipei, Taiwan, Sabato Lab, Cabinet de Curiosités
2016 Apeldoorn, Netherlands, CODA Museum, Private Confessions
2017 Munich, Germany, Villa Stuck, Private Confessions
Pforzheim, Germany, Schmuckmuseum, Pretty on Pink – graue Eminenzen des Schmucks (Grey Eminences of Jewellery)
2019 「Der rote faden」, ALIEN Art Centre, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
|Collections|
Cologne, Germany, Von Lom Collection
Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Museum Angewandte Kunst
Hamburg, Germany, Amme Collection
Hanau, Germany, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus
Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ALIEN Art Centre
Pforzheim, Germany, Schmuck Museum
Wuppertal, Germany, Abeler Collection
Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss National Museum, Alice and Lois Koch Collection
Numerous private collections
|Literature|
Till 2003 see Sabine Runde, Ornament without Ornament, Franz Bette Jewellery, Frankfurt 2007 (ISBN 978-3-88270-112 8)
2003 Arch Gregory, Minimal Rings, n.p. 2003, Pp. 15, 18, 41, 43 (ISBN 0-9747573-0-1)
2007 Jochen Amme, Historische Besteck 2, Stuttgart 2007, Pp 180, 203, 207 (ISBN 978-3-89790-261-9)
2012 Fei Teng (ed), c 10 Years – Re: Jewellery, Beijing 2012, Pp 188-191 (ISBN 978-7-5064-9322-2); Cornelie Holzach, Wang-Mong Raun, German Contemporary Metal Crafts, New Taipei City 2012, Pp. 67-8 (ISBN 978-986-03-2768-7)
2014 Pamela Auburn, Same but Different, Nan-Tou 2014 (ISBN 978-986-04-1067-9)
2016 Ellen Maurer-Zilioli, Private Confessions, Stuttgart 2016, Pp 25, 35, 150-53 (ISBN 2016, 978-3-89790-476-7)
2017 Julia Kleinbeck, Katja Poljanac, Andreas Volz, Pretty on Pink – graue Eminenzen des Schmucks, Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, Pforzheim 2017, Pp 18-19, 26 (ISBN 978-3-933924-23-0); Daniela Malev, To the Point, Leipzig 2017, Pp 220-1, 241 (ISBN 978-3-96014-390-1)
From 1985 to 2014 numerous catalogues of student work and journals
Applied Art Essay
Conference Lecture
Conference Lecture
2019. 02. 15 – 2019. 09. 08