KÖNIG SEOUL is pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol. Since the 1980s, Balkenhol has dedicated his artistic practice to investigating the human figure in all its complexity and ambivalence, using wood and bronze media to realize his contemporary mode of anonymous portraiture or, as he playfully calls it “Mr. Everyman”. The exhibition in Seoul will be his first in Korea and features 12 works, the bulk of which are wooden, wall-hanging reliefs. Additionally, a selection of his signature men, clad in black trousers and a white shirt, as well as women figures will be on view. A work in bronze is prominently placed within the gallery space. Balkenhol has revived earlier traditions of portrait-making and infused them with a contemporary sensibility, presenting his subjects without personal attributes and accessories. Instead, the artist imparts his subjects with a uniquely haptic character, focusing on the surfaces of his sculptures and reliefs, imbuing them with a granularity and texture that belie the straightforwardness of their character’s indifferent faces. Balkenhol sculpts and carves his free-standing sculptures in a single piece from tree trunks. This is apparent from the solid plinths, which are conceived as integral to the sculpture. His materials of choice are easily workable soft woods, such as poplar, obeche, and cedar. Their roughly worked surfaces and coloured finishes lend them Balkenhol’s unmistakable signature style celebrates the craftsmanship of the artistic process.