Tanel Veenre’s solo exhibition at Temnikova & Kasela Gallery features his extensive conceptual jewellery series Papilla and Organ, which the jewellery artist has worked on over a period of three years.

The core of the exhibition is made up by black hearts displayed on wooden organ pipes. Organ as a heart and organ as a musical instrument. Hearts carved from various dark precious materials speak through archetypes rather than physicality; the heart as a symbol imbued with its endless depiction has begun to grow, under the hand of the artist thinking within the material, reaching organic refined forms. Heart as a flower. Heart as a fruit. Heart as a plant.

The second series displayed at the exhibition consists of engraved stone jewellery that is unusually minimalist in Tanel Veenre’s work, combining perfectly finished design aesthetics with the artist’s conceptual ambitions. The nipple-shaped jewellery deals with the freedom of showing one’s body, and denotes the limitations and double standards that accompany human nudity. These brooches and earrings are a reference to the #freethenipple movement on social media, which seeks to free bodies from gender differentiation. Papilla was first shown during Munich Jewellery Week at the Nuda Vita exhibition (curated by Ilaria Ruggiero).

The exhibition also includes works where the two series meet. The surrealist narrative language of symbols has synthesised hearts with fiery flames, nipples and lustful tongues. Faith and eros, two powerful guides. An artist whose work explores being as such is able to deal with 1–2 big topics in his life, growing within these worlds. This exhibition is a powerful stopover, summarising the experiences the artist has so far encountered in both subjects.

Compered to Tanel Veenre’s last series, presented three years ago, which was overflowing with baroque and lustful colours, the works shown at Temnikova & Kasela gallery are more thoughtful and sombre. The seriousness is further emphasised by the wooden sound of organ pipes.

Tanel Veenre is a jewellery artist and designer of his own brand. He has participated in more than 200 exhibitions around the world and his work is represented by top jewellery galleries in the USA, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal and Germany.  

Sound: Mark Dorfmann