Dorothea Prühl’s jewellery is sculptural, instinctively gestural, driven by observations from nature. Working freely in metal and wood, there is no ambiguity in her work. Her forms, whilst reduced, convey the very essence of the things they represent – the rhythm and repetition drawing ever closer to the core. ‘Dorothea Prühl’s works are great in every sense of the word … With her jewellery she has set standards, importantly and memorably so. Her necklaces are empowering – for wearers and viewers alike.’ – Florian Hufnagl. 

Born in 1937 in the German city of Breslau, Dorothea studied at the Hochschule für industrielle Formgestaltung Halle (Burg Giebichenstein). After working at VEB Gablona, she returned to Halle in 1966 to teach at Burg Giebichenstein. She was appointed professor and director of the department in 1994 and retired in 2002. Her work is exhibited internationally and can be seen in collections including the Marzee Collection, CODA Apeldoorn, Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, Die Neue Sammlung in Munich, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Hiko Mizuno Collection in Tokyo and the Donna Schneier Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 1999, Dorothea was awarded the first Marzee Prize and in 2009 and 2024 the Bavarian State Prize and in 2019 she was honoured with the Art Prize of the State of Saxony-Anhalt.