b. 1981, Germany
Over the last ten years, Esther Kläs (*1981, Mainz, Germany; lives and works in Barcelona, Spain) has developed a distinctive visual language that harks back to the great sculptural traditions of the 20th century – including post-war abstraction and Minimalism – while simultaneously challenging contemporary sculptural norms. She uses malleable materials that can be worked by hand, including cement, clay, plaster, Styrofoam and resin. Kläs is a visionary yet process-oriented sculptor. Her works, which are reduced to as little as necessary to communicate, are close to yet removed from reality. The dynamics of objects in groups are explored, as is the movement of the body in space in connection to drawing and performance. Kläs often creates human-scale ensembles that seem governed by their own internal and external logic.