Stephan Balkenhol – Untitled (Pedestal Encounter), 2009 – Mixed Media

Aquarelle and ink on paper, hand-coloured.

Untitled (Pedestal Encounter) (2009) by Stephan Balkenhol presents a quietly enigmatic scene rendered in aquarelle and ink on paper, hand-colored with delicate restraint. The image depicts two figures—a man in a patterned shirt and trousers and a woman in a pale blue dress—facing one another on a raised, circular pedestal-like platform. The woman stands elevated on a small red disk, emphasizing a subtle imbalance of perspective or status. The setting, void of background or context, underscores the theatricality and ambiguity of their encounter. Balkenhol is known for his figurative work that resists overt emotion or narrative, inviting viewers to project their own interpretations onto these staged yet ordinary human presences. The print, part of an edition of 48 with additional artist’s and hors commerce copies, captures the sculptor’s signature style of merging classical figuration with conceptual distance.

Stephan Balkenhol (Germany, 1957) is a celebrated sculptor known for his painted wooden figures that combine simplicity with emotional depth. Often depicting everyday people, his works explore themes of identity and humanity while maintaining a sense of mystery. Balkenhol’s art bridges traditional craftsmanship and contemporary expression, earning him recognition worldwide.

Stephan Balkenhol

Untitled (Pedestal Encounter), 2009

Form

Limited Edition Print

Limited Edition PrintA limited edition print is one of a number of prints made at the same time from one printmaking plate. A fixed number are made and signed by the artist, indicating the printing order, using the format 1/10, meaning first of ten prints.

Medium

Mixed Media

Mixed MediaMixed media refers to artwork that incorporates more than one medium within a single piece. Unlike multimedia art, which combines distinct forms of visual art and often includes elements like sound, video, or digital media, mixed media focuses on combining traditional art materials, such as paint, ink, and collage. Mixed media art allows artists to achieve a wide range of effects and textures by layering and blending different materials.

Edition

Unique from an edition of 48 + VI A.P. + VI H.C.

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Sculpture / Object

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Stephan Balkenhol

Tapestry

EUR 12,000

Stephan Balkenhol

Köpfe (W-large), 2006

Tapestry

EUR 12,000

Stephan Balkenhol

Köpfe (B), 2006

Tapestry

EUR 6,500

Stephan Balkenhol

Köpfe (G), 2006

Tapestry

EUR 6,500

Stephan Balkenhol

Sculpture / Object

Acclaimed for his carvings that depict the human-form in a multitude of poses and positions, Stephan Balkenhol is a German sculptor and painter. His sculptures are often carved from blocks of wood with the use of traditional tools – his work is then transformed into a recognisable form with the use of a chisel, light painting of the surface and the creation of highlights and shadows through gradation. His earliest works included the nude form of a human atop a pedestal, works that recalled classical Greek busts – his attention to detail highlights such features as the curve of the eyebrow or the volume of the lip. Balkenhol’s most recent works are largely created with no apparent emotion to detect, and no obvious political or social critique; of this, Balkenhol has stated, “I’m perhaps proposing a story and not telling the end, just giving a beginning or fragment. There is still a lot for the spectator to complete.”

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Germany

Germany is a global powerhouse in contemporary art, home to iconic institutions such as the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum in Berlin and the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt. Renowned artists like Gerhard Richter, acclaimed for his abstract paintings, and Katharina Grosse, known for her immersive installations, exemplify Germany's innovative spirit. Explore Germany's vibrant contemporary art scene on Composition Gallery's website.

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Stephan Balkenhol

Untitled (Pedestal Encounter), 2009

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Biography

Bio

Kopfsäule Mann, 2020

Fussballliebe, 2024

Kleine Kopfsäule, 1991

Kleine Kopfsäule, 1991

Femme burlesque (Burlesque Woman), 2013

Private Listing

Private Listing

Teddy, 2004

Mann mit weißem Hemd, 2017 / 2023

Relief Mann, 2010

Tanzendes Paar (rot), 2020

Tanzendes Paar (grun), 2020

Woman in white jacket, 2004

Standing Man, 2004

Köpfe (B-large), 2006

Köpfe (W-large), 2006

Köpfe (B), 2006

Köpfe (G), 2006

Köpfe (W), 2006

Kuss , 2000

Fritzlar, 2004

Male torso, 2012

Bull, 2025

Untitled (Et(...), 2007

Untitled (Pe(...), 2009

Stehender Na(...), 1999

Kniender Man(...), 2012

Laocooon, 2016

Woman in whi(...), 2004

Mann in der (...), 1993

Liegende Fra(...), 2012

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