BIOGRAPHY
Iris Merkle has lived and worked in Stuttgart, southern Germany, for more than 15 years. She studied jewelry design at Pforzheim‘s renowned School of Design and also at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, Finland. After completion of her diploma in 2001, she ventured into the area of product design and advertising before returning five years later to her heart‘s desire: making jewelry.
In 2014 she received the „Design Art Craft“ award from the German state of Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany‘s top awards for innovative design. In 2015, she presented her works in New York City at the annual exhibition of contemporary jewelry at the MAD Museum of Arts and Design. She has run her own studio since 2007 and holds exhibitions at home and abroad.
PRIZES
2017 GEDOK FormART-Prize (Germany)
2014 State Award: Design Art Craft, Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
2002 Honorable mention, State Award: Design Art Craft, Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
2001 Honorable mention, Cheongju Arts Center, Cheongju-City (Korea)
EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2020 Solo exhibition IRIS MERKLE, Gedok Galerie Suttgart
2019 HEASUN KIM & IRIS MERKLE, Galerie Z, Stuttgart
2018/2019 HEART FAILURE – the 10th anniversary exhibition, Gallery ALLIAGES, Lille (France) / Munich / Athen / Madrid
2018 INSECTS, Galeria Alice Floriano, Porto Alegre (Brazil)
WIE ES UNS GEFÄLLT, Galerie Z, Stuttgart
2017 GENIUS LOCI, project space Oberwelt, Stuttgart
2016 HO, HO, HO! Gallerie Friends of Carlotta, Zürich (Switzerland)
TISCHLEIN DECK DICH - Galerie Z, Stuttgart (Germany)
2015 IRIS MERKLE - Art Jewelry & PETER BÖCK - Painting, Galerie Z, Stuttgart
LOOT - Mad about jewelry, annual exibition, MAD | Museum of Arts and Design New York
STERNTALER - Galerie Z, Stuttgart
PUBLICATIONS
2020 accompanying catalog State Prize Baden-Württemberg
2018 New Brooches – 400+ Contemporary Jewellery Designs, Nicolas Estrada
2017 accompanying catalog GEDOK FormART Prize
2017 Narrative Jewelry: tales from the toolbox by Mark Fenn
2015 GALERIE Z booklet 2015/16, www.galeriez.net
2015 Inspiration Lab Magazine: Made in Germany, publisher inhorgenta Munich
2012 Showcase 500 rings, Bruce Metcalf, Lark Crafts Asheville, English
2010 Green Design, Dorian Lucas, Braun Publishing, English Softcover in Box,
2008 The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellers, Darling Publications
MEMBERSHIPS
since 2010 GEDOK Stuttgart
since 2014 BDK – Bund der Kunsthandwerker Baden-Württemberg
since 2018 BBK – Bund Bildender Künstlerinnen
SCHOLARSHIP
November 2018: Artist in Residence, Strzeminski Academy of Art Lodz, Poland