Stephan Balkenhol

This catalogue was published on the occasion of the exhibition “Stephan Balkenhol: New Sculptures”. For over three decades Stephan Balkenhol has been among the most acclaimed contemporary sculptors in the world. Continuing the European tradition of the wooden sculpture that dates back to the Middle Ages, Stephan Balkenhol carves his sculptures from a wide range of woods including wawa, cedar and fir, without any assistance. His human figures are never polished to waxy smoothness and artifice: like humans they would not be themselves without imperfections. The rough surfaces and cuts create a sense of a life force hidden inside the figures of seemingly apathetic humans-an evidence of the artist’s love of and faith in humanity.