Stephan Balkenhol Frau, 2020
Painted wawa wood
166 x 35 x 19,5 cm (65,35 x 13,78 x 7,68 in)
Known for his wooden sculptures, Stephan Balkenhol carves his figures with a mallet and a chisel directly from tree trunks, often made of wawa wood, without trying to erase the traces left by the tools. This unique technique creates a feeling of individuality that is specific to each sculpture, further reinforced by the colours chosen to structure and animate the figure. In Frau (2020), a contemporary woman is dressed in her everyday attire and rendered with enough detail to almost suggest three-dimensional portraiture. However, showing no signs of emotion and bearing no socio-critical references, her presence transcends the specifics of any narrative to welcome a more existential meaning.
