Dazzle 40 | David Hensel

Known for his sculptural jewellery since the late 1970s, David was involved with Dazzle since its beginning. His fascination with jewellery stems from the found treasures of his childhood, which developed into small-scale sculpture using found objects as well as fragments of colour in the paintings of his Fine Art studies. Jewellery grew out of this, was thus discovered, self-taught, and has persisted as his main art form since, although larger sculpture, drawing and painting are important aspects of his explorations.

Current work is not so much focused on new pieces as on finishing those he still has by building them into larger works, jewelled narrative sculpture or elaborate boxes for them. His view of jewellery is not about decoration or fashion, but about art objects as a treasured interface between wearer and their world.

View all the 40 brooches for 40 years exhibition.