Jürgen Partenheimer
Jürgen Partenheimer is regarded as one of the leading artists of his generation working from a distinctly abstract approach. He gained international recognition in the 1980s through his participation in the biennials of Paris, São Paulo and Venice. His work has been shown at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery in Washington, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Singapore Art Museum, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Madrid and Museum Ludwig in Cologne. Partenheimer was also a guest of honour at the Villa Massimo in Rome.
For Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg, Partenheimer created the Kalliope edition in 2011/2012, a series of four different sculptural vessels whose forms are based on the artist’s abstract construction drawings. Unlike Nymphenburg porcelain traditionally made using moulds, the vessels are thrown by hand. Partenheimer deliberately allows traces of the making process to remain visible, incorporating the transformation of the material—from wet porcelain through drying and firing to glazing—into the work itself. The vessels were produced in different combinations of biscuit and glazed porcelain, with variations in colour and drawing. As a result of the handcrafted process, each piece is unique, signed and numbered by the artist. The title Kalliope refers to the muse of epic poetry, science and philosophy.
