Stephan Balkenhol was born in Fritzlar, Germany 1957.
Lives and works between Karlsruhe, Germany and Meisenthal, France. Stephan Balkenhol is characterized by his strive to reground figurative sculptures. His ability to carve, alongside a constant investigation of the role of sculptures, within the contemporary art production, make him stand out from the prevailing tendencies. The artist uses soft wood, such as Poplar and Wawa, which can be seen in the reminiscent chisel marks, cracks or knots, left as a hint to his technique. Balkenhol uses for most of his works a single block of wood, polychromatic, to delimit the sculpture from the pedestal, which is carved in a totem style that serves as a continuation of the popular and medieval carving techniques.