In her work, Helena Renner explores the perception of bodies – caught between reality, individual desire and societal expectations. Her body-related works are created using materials such as shapewear, silk, underwear, stones and pearls. From these, she develops evocative pieces of jewellery and art objects that raise questions about ideals of beauty, vulnerability and the visible traces of life. Traumas, accidents or fluctuations in weight are not concealed, but are deliberately addressed and made visible as part of personal identity.
In the conversation, Renner talks about the background to her artistic practice and the numerous encounters that her work inspires. In the interview, which lasts around 45 minutes, the podcasters talk to her about how societal notions of beauty arise, how they influence our self-image, and what reactions her works provoke. The discussion centres on personal experiences, our relationship with our own bodies, and how jewellery can become a medium for exploring social issues.
Helena Renner was born in Speyer in 1990. From 2009 to 2017, she studied German language and literature, sociology and political science, before turning her attention to jewellery by training as a goldsmith. From 2020 to 2024, she studied gemmology and jewellery at the Idar-Oberstein campus of Trier University of Applied Sciences. She now lives and works in Idar-Oberstein.
The podcast series Glanz & Kante by Cathleen Kämpfe and Ruth Rubin Schneider offers insights into the diverse approaches within contemporary jewellery art and brings together artists, designers and key figures from the scene for conversation. The episode featuring Helena Renner impressively demonstrates how jewellery goes far beyond mere ornamentation and can become a medium that challenges social norms and tells personal stories.
Glanz & Kante is a collaboration with the Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst e.V. (GfG). This non-profit association, based in Hanau, is dedicated to promoting, raising awareness of and fostering appreciation for contemporary jewellery and metalwork. The GfG’s key tasks include organising competitions, scholarships and events, as well as staging numerous exhibitions at the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau, for which the association is responsible for the content on behalf of the City of Hanau.
Further information about Helena Renner you can find on her Website and on Instagram. You can find Glanz & Kante on their Website and the Instagram-Channel of the podcast. The episodes can be found on numerous podcast platforms.
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