Otto Künzli
(Switzerland / Germany, 1948)
Winner Françoise van den Bosch Award 1990
Otto Künzli is a Swiss artist and one of the most renowned figures in contemporary jewellery. Known for his conceptual approach, he creates works that are minimalist in form yet rich in meaning, often using irony, metaphor, and humour to question ideas of value, wealth, power, and identity. His jewellery functions both as adornment and as a vehicle for critical reflection, with iconic works such as Gold Macht Blind (1980) and 1 cm of Love (1995) exemplifying his ability to transform simple objects into powerful statements. Alongside his artistic practice, Künzli was a highly influential educator, leading the jewellery department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1991 to 2014 and shaping generations of contemporary jewellers.
The award ceremony took place in Museum Fodor in Amsterdam, on 25 May 1990.
The jury of the 1990 Françoise van den Bosch Award:
Marion Herbst (chair)
Jurriaan van den Berg
Haro Plantinga
Marjan Unger
Annelies Planteijdt designed the trophy for Otto Künzli.
Jan van der Vaart 1972
Zig-zag vase
Ruudt Peters 1990
Lamego
Manami Aoki 2017
Hair of the Wood 3
Warwick Freeman 1992, 1997, 1998, 2001
5 brooches
Ruudt Peters 1972
Necklace
Masao Takahashi 2005
Samurai Sword
Suzanne Esser 1973
N.T.
Rudi de Gruijl 2023
N.T.
Unknown artist ca. 1970
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1976 / 1993
N.T.
Boris de Beijer 2011
N.T.
Sophie Hanagarth 2013
Trap
Noon Passama 2017
from the series 0123456789
Françoise van den Bosch 1972
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1976
Cushion brooch
Marijke de Goey 1986
Square
Iris Bodemer 1999
N.T.
Robert Smit 2002 - 2003
Bottle in Landscape
Frans van Nieuwenborg 1972
N.T.
Roos van Soest 2008
Bravo
Barend van Herpe 1990
N.T.
David Roux Fouillet 2012
Princess of 22
Françoise van den Bosch 1967/68
N.T.
Eleonora Radke 2021
Schmatzen
Gijs Bakker 1987
Jonas Nr 1
Ted Noten 1998
Chew Your Own
Françoise van den Bosch ca. 1969/70
Life Cycle
Adriaan van Strien 1971
Ball-bearing Bracelet
Conversation Piece 2016
Gold Rush
Marit van Heumen 2015
Neck Piece
Sophie Hanagarth 2013
Lipstick
Virág Motesiczky 2019
Not So Sad Anymore
Erik Kuiper 2008
Ranah
Unknown artist 1970 - 72
N.T.
Lin Cheung 2018
Delayed Reactions – Slightly Sad
Corrina Goutos 2024
Ehmi
Onno Boekhoudt 1990
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1968
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2003
Flat Brooch
Sally Marsland 1999
Composite (white, two cups)
Ted Noten 2004
Coffee Cup
Andreea Raluca Cojocaru 2021
Made in Belgium by a Romanian
Noon Passama 2011
Extra Button
Thomas Gentille 21st Century
N.T.
Dominique Pelletey 1990
Ode au noir et blanc
Frans van Nieuwenborg 1972
N.T.
Lauren Kalman 2015
Device for Filling a Void (4)
VES 1984
N.T.
Sophie Hanagarth 2008
Bretzel
Frans van Nieuwenborg and Martijn Wegman 1982
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1970
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1969
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2009
Sun
Sally Marsland 2001-2002
Flat Colour
Marc Monzó 2013
Wall
Françoise van den Bosch
Two hallmarks in original box
Noon Passama 2013
Portrait #6
Helena van der Kraan 1990
N.T.
Tarja Tuupanen 2000
Smokey Quartz Necklace
Jing He 2014
Potential Pin
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
Two-part object
B.O.E.-group 1974
B.O.E.-box
Richard Elenbaas 2012
Elenbaas coin
Esther Knobel 1987
Train
Maria van Kesteren 1970
N.T.
Jing He 2014
Potential Pins No.7
Marijke de Goey 1986
Triangle
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1970
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Hil Andringa
Square tile with one curled angle
Liesbet Bussche 2009
Urban Jewellery
Hil Andringa ca. 1970
N.T.
Norman Weber 1999
Minimal nr.2
Marcel Wanders 1992
N.T.
Maureen Kortenbusch 2021
The Archive of Adorning Entities
Marion Herbst 1971
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2004
Plastic Sticks
Sarah Regensburger 2017
N.T.
Andrea Wagner 1997
Ring with stone and ingrown jewelry
Françoise van den Bosch ca. 1974/75
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch
N.T.
Karl Fritsch 2006
N.T.
Mikiko Minewaki 2003
PLAchain
Xinyao Ding 2023
Sprouting
Françoise van den Bosch 1974
Life cycle
Jing He 2013
Trophy for David
Chun Chang 2026
Gideon
Françoise van den Bosch 1971
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1974/77
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1970
Two-piece bracelet
Marc Monzó 2004
N.T.
François Morellet 1972
N.T.
Marit van Heumen 2015
Ladder
Françoise van den Bosch ca. 1974
N.T.
Zaina Benhamou 2025
Going for Gold
Frans de Wit 1975
N.T.
Pierre Degen 1984
N.T.
Réka Fekete 2018
Sydney Parks
Marion Herbst 1986
N.T.
Kimmo Heikkilä 2004
Measure Ring
Frans van Nieuwenborg 1972
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2004
N.T.
Lin Cheung 2007/2019
Jewellery Library
Terhi Tolvanen 2004
Flos Bipetalus
Chun Chang 2025
Everything is born at the End of the Flow
Lauren Kalman 2015
Device for Filling a Void (4)
Gemma Draper 2005
Is almost the right shape
Veronika Fabian 2020
Biglink
Maureen Kortenbusch 2021
The Quiet Globe of Air
Karl Fritsch 2000
N.T.
Nel Linssen 1992
N.T.
Marion Delarue 2017
Parrot Devotees
Helen Britton 2002
Garden of Infinity
Blanca Sanchez 2005
N.T.
Bruno Ninaber van Eyben 1975
N.T.
Susanne Klemm 1996
Man-Woman
Julia Obermaier 2024
J/D/M_110_U+
Jiro Kamata 2005
Sunny Ring
Françoise van den Bosch 1968
N.T.
Lucien den Arend ca. 1970
N.T.
Richard Elenbaas 2013
Lost Story
Manfred Bischoff 1991
Mann mit zwei Fragen
Ted Noten 1995
Cinderella’s Ring
Julia Obermaier 2024
KOH-I-NOOR and Friends – Hardtmuth
Berend Peter Hogen Esch 1974
N.T.
Manon van Kouswijk 1996
An Angel at my Table
Paul de Nooijer 1990
N.T.
Terhi Tolvanen 2004
Prima Gemmula
Berend Bodenkamp 1975
N.T.
Ineke Heerkens 2021
Beading Breath
Françoise van den Bosch 1971
N.T.
Charlotte van der Waals 1974
N.T.
Maria van Kesteren 1982
N.T.
Eline Willemarck 2015
Trophy
Françoise van den Bosch
N.T.
Tomomi Arata 1997
Treasures from under the Sea
Florian Weichsberger 2019
Decontext
Emmy van Leersum 1969
N.T.
Virág Motesiczky 2019
Not So Sad Anymore, letters
Iris Eichenberg 1995
N.T.
Unknown artist 1965 - 68
N.T.
Marion Herbst 1994
Little Cake
Françoise van den Bosch 1968
N.T.
Marc Monzó 2016
Moon
Gijs Bakker 1967
Circle bracelet
Richard Elenbaas 2013
Distinction
Françoise van den Bosch 1969
N.T.
Gijs Bakker 1967
Pinkring
Otto Künzli 1992
When Mickey Mouse was Born
Blanca Sanchez 2005
N.T.
Lin Cheung 2016
Together
Bernhard Schobinger 1984
Vogelkette
Corrina Goutos 2024
Lit Clip
Onno Boekhoudt 1996
N.T.
Susanne Klemm 1996
Inflammable
Noon Passama 2009
Big Fat Trophy
Lisa Walker 2010
Newtown Necklace
Peggy Bannenberg 1992
N.T.
Zbigniew Kosc 1990
N.T.
Françoise van den Bosch 1976
N.T.
Paul Derrez 1985
N.T.
Benedikt Fischer 2023
N.T.
Yuka Oyama 2003
Schmuck Quicky
Manami Aoki 2017
Hair of the Wood 1
Marijke de Goey 1986
Square
David Bielander 2008
Corn Cob
Marc Monzó 2006-2010
Black Star
Françoise van den Bosch 1967/77
N.T.
Yutaka Minegishi 2005
Ants’ Queen
Tarja Tuupanen 2003
Black Granite Necklace
Françoise van den Bosch 1973
N.T.
Helen Britton 2001
Silver Structure with 2 Dishes
Kimmo Heikkilä 2001
6 x Brooch
Annelies Planteijdt 1987
N.T.
Sally Marsland 2000/2001
Almost Black
Xavier Ines Monclús 2004
The Whale’s Playground