Friendship Sculpture

BIO KIM DE RUYSSCHER Kim De Ruysscher (Wilrijk 1973) is known for his impressive sculptures and installations. After his graduation from the Sint-Lucas University in Gent (Belgium), where he specialized in painting, he moved to Carrara (Italy) to make marble sculptures. A large part of his oeuvre consists of sculptures of everyday objects. Some of these works are reminiscent of the ‘soft sculptures’ of food and utensils by Swedish-American pop artist Claes Oldenburg or the balloon figures by postmodernist Jeff Koons. However, while these artists used materials such as plaster, plastics, and stainless steel, De Ruysscher creates his everyday objects from solid natural stone. A pair of high heels is carved from black marble (Presence, 2014), an inflated balloon from onyx (Yellow Balloon, 2013). The precise, costly, and time-consuming process of carving natural stone stands in sharp contrast to the cheap, plastic objects they represent and the way these objects are usually taken for granted. The sculptures appear to be the product of calculated perfection, emphasizing the banality of everyday life. De Ruysscher lives and works in Varese, Italy since 2014 www.kimderuysscher.com