Born in Germany and raised and educated in Austria, Stephan Hampala has a predilection for handicrafts that may seem outmoded, and a weakness for craftsmanship that requires an adherence to detail and specific materials. Hampala first came across examples of beaded jewelry while researching European costume history. Stimulated by the designs of the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) and by ethnic beadwork, he began designing his own jewelry using beadwork techniques in 1989. In his recent work, he shifts his focus from patterns to the precise structures that emerge when delicate antique beads are meticulously joined together, and explores the effects of contrasting monochromatic color fields, whether subtle or striking.
