Stephan Balkenhol (b. 1957 in Fritzlar) is one of the best-known German sculptors working today. He became famous for his painted figures carved from a single block of wood – mostly ordinary people rather than heroes or idols, often in a white shirt and dark trousers. With hammer, chisel and chainsaw, Balkenhol releases his figures from soft woods such as poplar or wawa; the visible traces of working and the sparing colour give them a presence that is at once archaic and everyday. Balkenhol studied at the Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg under Ulrich Rückriem and has taught as a professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe since 1992. His work is held in major museums internationally and in public space.