Seven highly acclaimed Viennese artists are to exhibit their jewellery at the Katherine Kalaf Gallery in Cottesloe during the Perth International Arts Festival. This exhibition is being specially curated for Katherine Kalaf by Professor Erika Leitner of Vienna and Dr Dorothy Erickson of Cottesloe. The custom designed jewellery gallery specialising in contemporary works is a most appropriate venue for the presentation of this distinguished group. Katherine Kalaf Gallery is dedicated to presenting to the people of Perth the best of contemporary jewellery and objects. Katherine is proud to welcome the Austrians for this the first of the overseas exhibitions. The exhibition opens with a Private View

All of the artists have international reputations and exhibit regularly in Europe, USA and Japan. They include Professor Fritz Maierhofer who was one of the pioneers of the New Jewellery Movement and whose work is depicted in most major texts on Twentieth Century Jewellery and is in many major collections, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Fritz trained as an apprentice before working for Andrew Grima in London and undertaking further studies there. He had his first solo exhibition in 1970 and has kept up a strong profile internationally. For this exhibition he has developed a new range of work entitled Chaos. He has experimented by carving and inlaying gold into Corian to create a striking series of brooches.

Professor Erika Leitner, who has lived and worked in many countries, accompanies the exhibition to Australia. Erika has exhibited since 1959 and has had 30 solo exhibitions in various countries. Erika’s work is in public collections in Austria, Germany and Kuwait. She is exhibiting collars and other pieces featuring her special textile techniques in silver and gold and will also be giving workshops in Sydney and Perth. Professors Leitner and Maierhofer were honoured by the Government of Austria in 2002 and 2003 for their services to art in Austria.

Jacqueline Lillie is a celebrated expert in contemporary beaded jewellery and her colourful and extremely flexible works are prized internationally. She was awarded the Corning Glass Museum (USA) Commission in 1992. Her work is in the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. Jacqueline exhibits regularly in Sydney. This is the first time her elegant work has been seen in Perth.

Gabriele Kutschera is another well established artist who, like the two previous artists, makes sculpture as well as jewellery. She set up her workshop in 1975 having a number of solo exhibitions at the legendary Galerie am Graben in Vienna. She exhibits primarily in Europe. In recent years she has concentrated on large iron works and smaller tableware and lights but for this exhibition has returned to jewellery and created a series forged from gold and silver.

Brigitte Pamperl is a practising designer and artist with work in major public collections in Europe. She had her first solo exhibition in 1990 and since then has exhibited in USA, Europe and Japan. As a designer she makes lights and furniture exhibiting at the big trade expos. Jewellery is her artwork. She makes refined and enigmatic work in which she attempts to take the metal to its limits. For this exhibition she has sent work experimenting with fine sprung steel which she has had gold-plated and set in silver constructions. This is the first time her work has been exhibited in Australia.

Margit Hart is one of the new generation of Austrian jewellers with an international reputation. She began as an apprentice before undertaking degrees in Vienna and USA and embarking on exhibitions in 1988. She has shown in USA, Europe and Japan and her work is in public collections in Austria. Margit undertook a Master of Fine Arts at Parsons School of Design, State University New York. Recently her work was illustrated in Lark Books 1000 Rings. Margit is well known for her eye-catching jewellery constructed of cow-gut over a wire armature. Her work for this exhibition however is organic in nature featuring delicately enamelled sterling silver forms resembling fallen leaves. This is the first time Margit’s work has been exhibited in Australia.

Katja Seitner is a member of an old established jewellery firm in Vienna. After graduating from the Art and Crafts School in Vienna she undertook an apprenticeship with the family firm completing this in 1998. From 1999 to 2001 she undertook a Master of Arts at the Royal College of Art in London where she won a Goldsmith’s Company Prize for Fashion Design. She has since exhibited in Europe and Britain. Her work is characterised by strong structural forms. Anodized aluminium rings are striking forms as miniature sculptures and on the hand they are eye catching. This is the first time Katja’s work has been exhibited in Australia.