*1956 Leverkusen – lives in Cologne

The German sculptor Thomas Grünfeld studied between 1978-1982 at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Stuttgart. In the late 1990s he taught at Goldsmith’s College in London. Since 2004 he has been professor for sculpture at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. In his conceptual series Grünfeld focuses intensely on selected themes and materials. His works are renowned for their ambivalence and complexity, such as his felt works which are both reduced and playful at the same time. His animal sculptures, entitled “misfits”, for which he became well known are also hybrid combinations from different species. His works have been shown in numerous international exhibitions. In 2013, the Morsbroich Museum in his home city, together with Museo Villa Croce in Genoa, organized the first retrospective exhibition of his works.