2019 Bridges Conference Fashion Show

Kris Design for special people

Designers

Kris Empting-Obenland

Artist

Singen, Germany

KrisDesign.FSP@googlemail.com

http://Kris-Design.de

Biography

I'm a guest of the research team of Contemporary Geometric Beadwork. Beads are my passion. I like to compare them with Lego: you can build anything with beads. I'm using different stitching techniques depending on the construction I want to achieve. Otherwise it's just thread and beads - seed beads mainly - that help me bring my fantasies to life. I draw a lot of inspiration from geometry. I love how repeating strong geometric shapes over and over again creates organic textures and optics.

Looks

Image for look 'IKOSA, GEARWHEEL'
Image for look 'IKOSA, GEARWHEEL'

About the look

IKOSA

Plastic beads, seed beads, thread

2019

There are two mathematically relevant aspects about this design. 1- Geometry: Dedicating my this year's work to triangles icosahedra are a logical consequence that can't be left out! 2- Arithmetic: I incorporated a number of primes into this piece. There are 19 icosahedra featuring 17 colors, together with black&white it's 19 colors. The appearence of each color on the icosa-balls amounts to 2 and 3 including 3 singles.

GEARWHEEL

Plastic beads, thread

2019

A ribbon of triangles forms an "endless" spiral. That's the basic construction of this colorful bracelet. The gaps between the spiral's loops are closed with additional pairs of triangles.
Image for look 'GUSTAV K., TOPOLO, GEARWHEEL II'
Image for look 'GUSTAV K., TOPOLO, GEARWHEEL II'
Image for look 'GUSTAV K., TOPOLO, GEARWHEEL II'
Image for look 'GUSTAV K., TOPOLO, GEARWHEEL II'
Image for look 'GUSTAV K., TOPOLO, GEARWHEEL II'

About the look

GUSTAV K.

Seed beads, thread

2019

Gustav Klimt, my favourite Austrian painter, would have turned 101 this year (which is a prime btw...). In his honour I played with triangles featuring my interpretation of his characteristic patterns and colours. Klimt is using all sorts of geometric shapes in his work. Different types of triangles, circles, squares, rectangles, straight and curved lines. His shapes are never executed in a geometrically accurate way though. I took up this effect by using seed beads for my necklace instead of cylinder beeds which gives the piece a textile-like look and the vivid texture of Klimt's paintings. So this seems to perfectly span the bridge between math and art....

TOPOLO

Cylinder glass beads, thread

2019

Equilateral triangles wish to be grouped by 6 to be able to lie flat in circles. Assembling only 5 of them makes nice little domes that add more texture to the topology. This cuff is made from 15 domes creating interesting negative spaces and a light weight and vivid structure.

GEARWHEEL II

Cylinder glass beads, thread

2019

A ribbon of black and white triangles forms an "endless" spiral. That's the basic construction of this bracelet. The gaps between the spiral's loops are closed with additional pairs of golden triangles.
Image for look 'TRICORN chain, TRICORN bangle, FASSADE bracelet'
Image for look 'TRICORN chain, TRICORN bangle, FASSADE bracelet'
Image for look 'TRICORN chain, TRICORN bangle, FASSADE bracelet'
Image for look 'TRICORN chain, TRICORN bangle, FASSADE bracelet'

About the look

TRICORN chain

seedbeads, thread

2019

Equilateral triangles being my this year's theme I made a chain of an even number of interlinked 3D elements that can be worn orderly with every element sitting upright within its two neighbours or the more chaotic style by giving the chain a twist - see picture.

TRICORN bangle

Seed beads, thread

2019

Matching the chain this bangle takes up the same shape characteristics but has more detailed patterns. It provocatively refuses to correspond the natural shape of a wrist.

FASSADE bracelet

Seed beads, thread

2015

This bracelet is made from interlinked cubes forming a spiral while switching between black and white. Each cube is selfsupporting and stiff enough to remain in accurate shape despite their neighbours' weight.