Walter Wittek
| 1943 | Born in Szopienice, Upper Silesia |
|---|---|
| 1962–68 | Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg, Master Student |
| 1969–72 | Worked in Düsseldorf |
| 1972–79 | Founded his first atelier in Hildesheim |
| 1975–78 | Teaching job at Hildesheim’s University of Applied Sciences and Arts |
| Since 1979 | Has been working freelance in Vreden |
The tension ring Walter Wittek designed in 1979 for Niessing has long since become a modern classic. The idea for its design was born by chance while this sculptor was working on a ring-shaped sculpture. Wittek regards his tension ring as a “sculpture on the wearer’s hand”. In his most recent variants, the two ends of the ring band have rounded ends. The invention of the “Champagne Gold” bangle was inspired by coincidence as well. By hammering on a discarded piece of platinum sheet, Wittek produced an interesting surface structure. The two bangles called “Champagner-Gold” and “Platin W.W.” each feature about 100,000 indentations hammered by hand. In the exciting interplay of light and shadow, the fine gold’s color becomes vivid and intense, and the platinum is enhanced by a gentle shimmer. Walter Wittek received many awards for his designs such as, for example, the Bavarian State Award in 1985, the Special Sculpture Biennial Prize in Toyamura, Japan, in 1999 as well as the Busse Longlife Design Award. His works are exhibited in museums all over the world.
