Hilde Leiss, a maverick on the arts and crafts scene, is a Hamburg-based master goldsmith and internationally recognised gallerist who promotes awarness for the truly different, hoping to change points of view along the way. Her provocative pieces engage collectors to think outside the box. Not fussy or ornate, her jewels focus on the aesthetic power of form from the sleek and geometric to the bold and organic, using the widest array of gems and metals in her palette.

In kind, the environment she has created to sell her work is equally inspiring. Her nearly 500-square-metre retail space celebrates art as a lifestyle, not only showcasing wearable art in contemporary jewellery by Hilde Leiss and others, but also art expressed in a variety of media, including apparel, hats, handbags, footwear, ceramics, glass and furniture.

According to the gallery facilitator, Mr.Wolf Keller, her decision more than three decades ago to build her business in this way has made her a recognised force in the art community. ‚She was among the first in Germany to introduce the concept,’ praises Wolf Keller, noting that she represents the works of many talents about whom she has a strong sense. ‚She has succeded in establishing a communication centre in Hamburg for both German and international arts and craft, an achievement many museums only dream of '.

Hilde Leiss’s gallery has become an integral part of Hamburg's cultural life, as well as a meeting place for the creators of exceptional contemporary jewellery and high quality arts and crafts products. She presents exhibitions of colleagues from around the worls and tends to her flock of apprentices and goldsmiths in her studio. In fact she has trained more than four dozen apprentices in 37 years, all of whom have earned government accreditation as journeymen and master goldsmiths.

Highly industrious with a keen eye fort he arts, Leiss embodies a pay-it-forward philosophy that has anchored her gallery in the art community as a nurturing environment for those who make and appreciate the art that expresses our lifestyles.

By Deborah Yanick
Freelance Writer