Stephan Balkenhol Germany, b. 1957
Biography
STEPHAN BALKENHOL is a German sculptor whose unique style gained him an inimitable place within the contemporary art world. Balkenhol is mostly known for his ‘dry’ sculptures. Roughly carved, hyper simplistic, anonymous human figures and animals, with a matt layer of paint. Lacking in expression, but not at all empty.
The artist makes big and small standing sculptures, often carved from a single block of wawa or poplar wood, but also 2 dimensional relief panels – portraits and landscapes uniting painting and sculpture – and bronze statues, meant to be able to stand outside. Many of his monumental bronze sculptures can be found in the urban space across the world.
Already during his education at the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg (’76 – ’82), Balkenhol wanted to save figuration from the then prevailing abstract, minimal and conceptual art. But the artist doesn’t want to impose a hidden message on to the figurative. He’s interested in showing the people as they are, their perceivable form and the stuff they’re – literally and figuratively – made of. The direct, seemingly unfinished sculptures come across as quick sketches, fleeting impressions which do justice to the directness with which we generally notice people. The viewer has to fill in the gaps, imbue it with meaning. Fantasy and associations are in the eye of the beholder.
“In my visions my sculptures become a question, a mirror.”
Now and then absurd elements pop up: humans with animal heads, mating couples on antique vases, monumental figures with stretched-out legs… a sense of humour which counteracts the – at first glance – seriousness of Balkenhol’s works, emphasizing instead the artist’s overall playfulness. Man is never reduced to banality however, on the contrary, the mundanity of Balkenhol’s characters are in honour of the intrinsic value of man.
Works
Exhibitions
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barbé x keteleer gallery
woning dr. de beir Jul 2 - Aug 27, 2023KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to present a new temporary exhibition space at “Woning Dr. De Beir”, Knokke, the famous 1924 modernist building by Huib Hoste. This architectural gem will...Read more -
stephan balkenhol
May 13 - Jun 24, 2023KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to present a new solo exhibition by Stephan Balkenhol. The exhibition consists of an entirely new series of sculptures and a selection of drawings.Read more -
stephan balkenhol
Sep 24 - Oct 24, 2021KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to present a new solo exhibition by Stephan Balkenhol. The exhibition consists of an entirely new series of works, including a new bronze edition which...Read more -
selected works from the deweer gallery estate
Jul 3 - Aug 1, 2021KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to introduce Selected works from the Deweer Gallery Estate , a group exhibition highlighting historical works from the Deweer family collection, including works by: Stephan...Read more
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opening KETEleer gallery | platform 6a
Oct 2 - Nov 1, 2020KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to announce the opening of its 3rd location at the new ‘Platform 6a’ project by Deweer. The first exhibition will be a group exhibition including...Read more -
stephan balkenhol
Sep 19, 2020 - Jan 24, 2021KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to present a new solo exhibition by Stephan Balkenhol. The exhibition consists of an entirely new series of works, including 2 new bronze sculptures which...Read more -
group exhibition
Jun 13 - Aug 30, 2020KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to present a new Group Exhibition, showcasing new and recent works by all its artists. With this exhibition, the gallery wants to offer all its...Read more -
looking forward
Dec 7, 2019 - Jan 5, 2020KETELEER GALLERY is very honoured to announce the new KETELEER GALLERY – Deweer Gallery collaboration. For the official introduction of this new development we proudly present Looking Forward : a...Read more
Art Fairs
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art brussels 2024
Apr 25 - 28, 2024KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to announce its participation in Art Brussels 2024. This year's presentation will consist of a solo exhibition showcasing the unique...Read more -
art cologne 2023
Nov 16 - 19, 2023 -
art brussels 2023
Apr 20 - 23, 2023KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to announce its participation at Art Brussels 2023. This year’s group exhibition will consist of works by Stephan Balkenhol, Guillaume...Read more -
art cologne 2022
Nov 16 - 20, 2022KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to announce its participation at Art Cologne 2022. The group presentation will consist of works by: Stephan Balkenhol – Gabriele...Read more
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art brussels 2020 -> 2022
Apr 28 - May 1, 2022For the 2022 Art Brussels edition, KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to introduce a group exhibition consisting of a selection of the gallery’s artists, including...Read more -
art cologne 2020 -> 2021
Nov 17 - 21, 2021For Art Cologne 2020, KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to introduce a group exhibition consisting of 9 artists. The combination of these artists represents the...Read more
Publications
News
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stephan balkenhol at Museum Wiesbaden (DE)
Nov 15, 2023Museum Wiesbaden (DE) present Stephan Balkenhol meets Old Masters, an exhibition in which a special selection of works by Balkenhol is placed in a dialogue...Read more -
ARTSY ONLINE VIEWING ROOM | EDITIONS
Feb 26, 2021KETELEER GALLERY is very pleased to present a new Artsy online viewing room consisting of a carefully chosen selection of beautiful editions by 8 artists...Read more -
Stephan Balkenhol & Fabien Mérelle at ‘A summer in Le Havre’
Jul 17, 2020Stephan Balkenhol & Fabien Mérelle are part of the yearly art event ‘A summer in Le Havre 2020’, France. In Le Havre, the summer season...Read more -
Stephan Balkenhol at Museum Jorn (DK)
Jul 3, 2020Museum Jorn in Silkeborg, Denmark presents a new solo exhibition by Stephan Balkenhol. The show will be on view July 5th – September 27th, 2020.Read more
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NOW ONLINE | ART BRUSSELS 2020 ON GALLERY VIEWER
May 28, 2020KETELEER GALLERY is delighted to present a new group exhibition for the 2020 Art Brussels online edition. Art Brussels devised an alternative to this year’s...Read more -
KETELEER GALLERY AT ART COLOGNE 2020 (DE)
Nov 19, 2019KETELEER GALLERY is proud to announce its first participation at ART COLOGNE 2020. We will present a group show with works by Stephan Balkenhol, Nasan...Read more
Bibliography
A selection of important solo shows of Stephan Balkenhol: Kunsthalle Emden, Germany (2018), Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Spain (2018), the MMOMA – Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Russia (2016), the Fondation Fernet-Branca, Saint-Louis, France (May 2016), the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren, Germany (2015), the Landesgalerie Linz, Austria (2014-2015), the Kunstmuseum Ravensburg, Germany (2014), the St. Elizabeth Church in Kassel, Germany (2012), the Musée de Grenoble, France (2010), the Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, Germany (2009), the National Museum of Art Osaka, Japan (2005) and the Sprengel Museum in Hanover, Germany (2003). In 2006-2007, an extensive exhibition of his work travelled from the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Germany to the MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst, Duisburg, Germany and on to the Museum der Moderne Salzburg Mönchsberg, Austria. Deweer Gallery has been presenting solo exhibitions by Stephan Balkenhol since as early as 1987. In 2017 Deweer Gallery organised a solo exhibition ‘30 Years Stephan Balkenhol & Deweer Gallery – A Brilliant Story Since 1987’, to celebrate not only a productive collaboration, but a deep friendship.
Although Stephan Balkenhol is mostly known for his figurative wooden sculptures, many of his monumental bronze sculptures can be found in the urban public space – in cities as Berlin, Chicago, Johannesburg, Courtray, London, Paris and Salzburg. Sculptures of the internationally renowned artist are included in major museum and private collections worldwide, in M HKA – Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, US. amongst others.