--- .\  IN THE NEWS

EXHIBITION

Museum of Craft and Design .\ Wunderkammer: The Collection of Susan Beech 

DATE & LOCATION 

October 4, 2025 - February 8, 2026
MUSEUM OF CRAFT AND DESIGN, SAN FRANCISCO

SAN FRANCISCO — The Museum of Craft and Design presents Wunderkammer: The Collection of Susan Beech, a rare glimpse into one of the most significant private collections of contemporary art jewelry. Featuring over 80 works, the exhibition celebrates the creative scope and innovation that define this field.

Taking its name from the 18th-century wunderkammer—or “cabinet of curiosity”—the exhibition explores jewelry as adornment, storytelling, symbolism, and sculpture. Susan Beech’s collection, an eclectic mix of the beautiful, the bizarre, and the profound, includes works by leading artists. Works placed by the gallery include those from Lola Brooks, Emily Cobb, Helen Britton, Anya Kivarkis, Daniel Kruger, Märta Mattson, Lucy Sarneel, Lauren Tickle, and Tina Rath.

Wunderkammer reimagines the tradition of the curiosity cabinet for today, shifting from its historical associations with mastery and colonization toward a global, inclusive perspective. The exhibition highlights artists from over twenty countries whose works expand our understanding of what jewelry can be.

At its core, this exhibition offers an intimate look at the pieces Beech has chosen to keep and wear—objects that speak to her personal identity and passion for contemporary jewelry. Two of her own custom display cabinets are featured, inviting visitors to peer into the collector’s world and discover jewelry as a vessel for memory, meaning, and transformation.

MARTA MATTSSON  .\  Cicada Brooch