STEPHAN BALKENHOL German, b. *1957

Stephan Balkenhol (born 1957 in Fritzlar) is among the most important contemporary sculptors in Germany. After studying at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts under Ulrich Rückriem, he developed an independent figurative approach in the 1980s. At the core of his work are carved and painted wooden figures. With their reduced, block-like forms and restrained expressions, they appear both present and distant. Balkenhol’s works resist fixed interpretation, instead opening a quiet dialogue with the viewer. His works are held in major international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. Stephan Balkenhol lives and works in Karlsruhe and Meisenthal (France).