Sofia Björkman wins the Silver Prize at ADA 2026

The international jury honored the brooch “The Magick Of The Hand Is The Matter Of The Craft” by a Swedish designer. At the Amber Vibes 2026 gala, the artist received the Gdańsk International Fair Co. Prize – 1 kg of silver funded by KGHM Miedź Polska.

The jury members appreciated the award-winning work's exceptionally subtle and reflective interpretation of the competition theme “Magia Materii” (The Magic of Matter), which shifts attention from the material itself to the process of shaping it and the importance of the work of human hands.

A sewing needle as a piece of jewelry

The central motif of the brooch is a sewing needle – one of the simplest and oldest creative tools. In the artist's work it is transformed into a piece of jewelry that serves both a structural and a symbolic function. The needle not only fastens the composition, but also becomes a metaphorical mediator between the human being and matter – a tool that joins, mends and gives form through repeated, attentive gestures.

The magic of matter in relation to the human body

A row of amber beads, threaded like a trace of the creative process, evokes the rhythm of the work of the hands and the time inscribed in matter. Amber – a material with an exceptional geological history – is set here against a handcrafted gesture that restores its individual, almost intimate character. The result is an object in which the magic of matter is revealed not only in its origin, but also in its relation to the human body, to touch, and to the time devoted to creating.

Resistance to standardization

The jury also appreciated the clarity and economy of the formal means of the work. The minimalist form allows attention to be focused on the idea: in a world dominated by virtuality, automation and repetition, making by hand becomes an act of reflection, mindfulness and creative resistance to standardization.

The award-winning brooch shows that the magic of matter does not always stem from its spectacular transformation, but is often born in the very act of creating – in the patient relationship between material, tool and the maker's hand.

One of the most recognizable designers in Sweden

Sofia Björkman is not only a designer, but also a curator and the owner of the PLATINA gallery in Stockholm, which since the late 1990s has played an important role in the international art jewelry world. The designer completed her master's studies at Konstfack – University of Arts, Crafts and Design in 1998. Soon after graduating she founded the PLATINA gallery and studio (open to the public in 1999), combining her own work with exhibition and curatorial activity.

Jewelry between object and sculpture

Björkman treats jewelry as a form of conceptual art, not merely an adornment. Her works often balance between a wearable object and a sculpture. She uses, among others, silver, steel, PLA (3D printing), paints and unconventional materials, creating forms inspired by nature, birds, branches or organic structures. The artist herself stresses that she believes in jewelry that provokes thought, now and then “irritates” or surprises, carries hidden meanings and emotions, and comments on reality.

In museums in Sweden, France, the Netherlands and the USA

Sofia Björkman's works have been presented at many international exhibitions, and her jewelry is held in museum collections in, among others, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and the USA. The artist is also associated with Art Jewelry Forum and regularly appears as a speaker at universities and art events around the world.

An international jury of experts

The composition of the jury of the 29th edition of the AMBERIF Design Award 2026 “Magia Materii” confirms its international and expert character. Its members were:

· Naomi Filmer – British artist and jewelry designer, graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, lecturer at Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion and HEAD Geneva

· Sara Gackowska – Polish artist and jewelry designer, graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in Finland

· Claudia Lassner – German designer, founder of the COCii Jewelry brand in Munich, co-organizer of the SCHMUCK München project

· Ruudt Peters – Dutch conceptual artist and jewelry designer, graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie

207 entries from 28 countries

The international jury selected for the exhibition 41 works by 39 artists, chosen from 207 entries submitted from 28 countries, representing Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
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More information: www.sofiabjorkman.se

Photo: MTG SA / Sofia Bjorkman

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