Mother, 2024

Jürgen Lingl  

Jürgen Lingl is a German contemporary sculptor, born in 1971 in Bad Tölz, Bavaria, and based in France since 1999. Trained in wood sculpture after an apprenticeship with master Hans-Joachim Seitfudem, he develops remarkable technical mastery very early on. His final apprenticeship work was awarded a first prize in Munich and Bavaria, as well as a second place nationally in Germany, marking the beginning of an international career.

Recognized for his singular approach to contemporary figurative sculpture, Jürgen Lingl is one of the few artists to use the chainsaw as the main tool for creation. This powerful and instinctive gesture deliberately leaves the marks of the cut visible, giving each sculpture a raw energy and a unique expressive intensity. Realized first in wood, and then often cast in bronze, his works explore the relationship between matter, movement, and light.

His artistic universe is mainly devoted to animal sculpture, with representations of lions, wolves, panthers, horses, owls, and other species from which he seeks to reveal inner strength and presence. He also creates human figures, nudes, monumental works, as well as spiritual and religious subjects. Between realism, expressionism, and simplification of forms, his sculptures convey a permanent search for balance between power, emotion, and elegance.

Since the early 2000s, Jürgen Lingl has received numerous awards, including the Paul-Louis Weiller Prize from the Institut de France and the Édouard-Marcel Sandoz Prize, which reward his entire body of work dedicated to animal sculpture. His creations are now featured in important public and private collections in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Russia, testifying to the international reach of his work.

The artist is represented by several European galleries, including Galerie Sylvie Platini, Galeries Bartoux, Galerie Ariel Jakob (Paris), Galerie Paul Janssen (Saint-Tropez), Leonhard's Gallery (Antwerp), and ArtCatto Gallery (Portugal). He regularly participates in major fairs and exhibitions such as Lille Art Up! and Grenoble Art Up!, where his monumental sculptures meet with great success among collectors. With the exceptional mastery of material and the emotional force of his works, Jürgen Lingl establishes himself today as one of the major figures in European contemporary sculpture.