Thomas Junghans, born in 1956 in Recklinghausen, Germany, is a renowned sculptor known for his abstract sculptures in stone, wood and bronze. His works mainly include torsos and primal portraits, characterized by a primitive, cubist and expressionist visual language.
Junghans began his artistic education in 1979 at the Stadsacademie Maastricht and continued his studies in 1981 at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. From 1982 to 1985 he studied at the Fachhochschule Aachen under the guidance of Lutz Brockhaus and Wilhelm Schürmann. Since 1981 he has exhibited his works in various museums, art associations and galleries throughout Europe.
His sculptures radiate a monumental and robust character, in which the material is central. The figures and heads seem to have been shaped with a few sharp cuts, although this is the result of an intensive and controlled creative process. Junghans describes his working method as a "controlled kind of drunkenness", in which he overcomes an inner paralysis to maintain the right balance and tension in his work.
Inspired by archaic forms and mythological themes, Junghans combines elements from classical Greek and Roman sculpture with cubist and primitive influences in his portraits. This results in intriguing interpretations of the human head, in which he often contrasts rough and polished segments in his bronze sculptures to emphasize the timeless connection between past and present.
Together with his wife, Siiri Spronken, Junghans lives and works in the Netherlands. His works have been exhibited in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Portugal, South Korea, Luxembourg, the United States, Scotland and Spain, which testifies to his international recognition and influence in contemporary sculpture.
Time line
1956 Born in Recklinghausen
1979 – 1981 Stadsacademie Maastricht/Netherlands
1981 Jan van Eyck Academie Maastricht/Netherlands
1982 – 1985 University for applied sciences in Aachen with Lutz Brockhaus und Wilhelm Schürmann
since 1981 Continuous exhibitions in Europe
Bibliography
Thomas Junghans, Skulpturen, 2002
Thomas Junghans, Suiten, 2008
Thomas Junghans, Das Portal von Sankt Gangolf, 1995
