Friends for life

The ‘Companions’ exhibition showcases a unique jewellery maker at the peak of his powers, and invites you on a journey of fantasy and friendship

Over the years, representations of animal heads and cartoon characters have become the trademark of German jewellery maker Alexander Blank. His pendants, made from hand-carved solid foam, silver and cotton, reveal a desire to be transported into fantasy worlds and are inspired by a curiosity of the unknown.

“We find Alexander Blank’s work exciting because he uses his jewellery to reflect on people, explore perspectives beyond the traditional – and tell stories,” says Friederike Zobel, the new Director of the Pforzheim Jewellery Museum in Germany’s Black Forest.

Alexander Blank’s recent works are being showcased in the ‘Companions’ exhibition, which is set to arrive at Pforzheim in July. Here, shapes and colours become abstract images that can be worn as a reflection of Blank’s world. The smooth surfaces of the objects disguise the process by which they were created, underlining Blank’s desire to recreate the ordinary into something special.

“Jewellery is an artform that promotes close bonds between the object and the wearer. For Alexander Blank, his creations become companions, friends even,” explains exhibition curator Katja Poljanac.

Speaking a language of jewellery

After training at the State Drawing Academy in Hanau, Blank, who originates from Büdingen in Hesse, studied as a Master Student in Otto Künzli’s class for Jewellery & Utensils at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. After graduating in 2011, he set up his own business in the Bavarian capital. The academy in Munich enabled Bank to work freely and conceptually, and his unique style began to develop.

“My interest in this artform goes beyond the classic representation of status, wealth or other forms of vanity. Jewellery has much more to offer than the confirmation of stereotypical role models,” says Blank.

The artist quickly found his signature style and focussed on a narrative and developing stories. Inspired by comic books and science fiction, his work takes the wearer or viewer on a journey of the imagination. Faces and symbols, sometimes familiar, sometimes unfamiliar speak from the past and become companions in the present.

Blank also looks for themes from pop culture and everyday life, processing what he has seen or experienced. He makes use of materials from our everyday environment, allowing his jewellery to truly reflect life as art.

Further information – ‘Companions’ by Alexander Blank runs from 24 July to 5 October 2025 at the Pforzheim Jewellery Museum. Head to schmuckmuseum.de/en/ for tickets and prices.