Exclusive interview with jewelry designer Karl Fritsch

I love Karl Fritsch distinctive design ideas regarding the unique rings he creates, truly art pieces that you can take anywhere on your finger. I was amazed by his creativity, so Karl just gave me a few highlights about him and his work. Meet more about the “Artist” here.

How and why did you get into the design Industry? Where did you study, etc?

Tt was a lucky incident that i became a jeweller , i wanted to learn woodcarving in oberammergau, but i missed the application deadline and then my mother heard about a jewelery school in pforzheim, i wanted to do something with my hands so this suited as a alternative very well, i applied and it was love on the first sight , after 3 years of apprenticeship in pforzheim i studied 6 years at the academy of fine art in Munich.

How would you describe your design style? How varied are your designs/artworks? Do you have a signature touch with your designs?

My approach to designing jewellery is very much based on the making , i love the processes and i love the materials involved, metals allow you to do certain things to them and i keep testing what they allow me to do and what they are comfortable or uncomfortable with .

When i start making, my brain also starts joining in and ideas evolve within the process and the pieces grow into what i am thinking or not thinking at the moment , there is a important element of accident , getting excited and surprising myself involved.

What do you love about being a designer/artist?

To make something that has not existed like that in this world before

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

A lot of inspiration i draw still from my apprenticeship and the classic jewellery training i got, and then it picks up happily anything conscious or subconscious around me.

What are some of your most popular works? Tell us a bit about some of your works and what you love about them. What’s your favorite and why?

Usually my latest pieces are my most favourite as i am most excited about them,

I love all of my rings as they really represent what i am thinking at the moment when i made them and that is why they are equally important to me in my ongoing process, saying this there are some key moments , like when i first started to rework conventional jewellery in 1992, i used to buy metals in form of old jewellery from the pawnshop and instead of melting them down i started to fix them again, fix them in a way that i like them, that aspect of using something very conventional and attaching my attitude to it i really enjoy.

Is there anything exciting that you are working on at the moment that you can tell us about?

I am always excited about the next piece and i don’t know how it will look like and that is the most exciting part of it, Philip Sajet sent me some niello to test and i enjoy having a play with that material.

What is your philosophy on design/art and life?

Enjoy the dirt in the street .

What are your design/art dreams/goals?

Scoring a hattrick in my next football game.