Stephan Balkenhol: Icons

About

German artist, Stephan Balkenhol (b. 1957) is one of the preeminent sculptors of our time. His fourth solo exhibition at Galerie Forsblom will continue to examine the human body in the artist’s characteristically simple, understated manner. Wooden sculptures of ordinary men and women are raised upon pedestals, giving them a monumental effect.

In the Icons exhibition, Balkenhol examines the fundamental concept of icons, with modern sensibilities. An icon - a sacred image - is both a picture and a representation of a saint. Balkenhol’s sculptures deal not only with saints, but also with idols, heroes and the stars of our time.

The starting point of Balkenhol’s works comprises a whole piece of timber, typically Douglas fir or poplar. The artist’s tools leave visible marks in the roughly carved figures, lending them human characteristics. The wooden surface’s cracks describe the unrefined state, emphasizing imperfection and flaws – the wooden figures are in effect as imperfect as people. Moreover, the characters are painted in the simplest but most effective colors and color combinations.

Stephan Balkenhol studied at the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg (1976-1982) and has served as professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe since 1992. Balkenhol's works have been exhibited extensively in international exhibitions and are included in several collections, such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the Staatliche Museen in Berlin, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt, as well as in the Art Institute of Chicago. The artist lives and works in Karlsruhe, Kassel and Berlin, Germany, and in Meisenthal, France.