Prisoner is a hand-painted bronze sculpture by Stephan Balkenhol. The human being is at the center of Stephan Balkenhol’s work. He is usually alone, but occasionally he can be accompanied by animals or architectural elements. The figures we encounter in his roughly hewn and painted wooden or bronze sculptures are anonymous, reserved, even emotionless. A man in black trousers and a white shirt is tied to a sphere which, on closer inspection, represents a globe. A distorted image, the imagination? Balkenhol captures unremarkable moments. The people he depicts are completely absorbed in themselves. They appear relaxed, impartial, distanced. Although their gaze is directed at us, it often seems empty. This reinforces their baffling mysteriousness. When Balkenhol studied under Ulrich Rückriem and Sigmar Polke at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts, his figurative compositions ran counter to the prevailing abstract and conceptual art. His works are not portraits in the concrete sense: they do not depict anyone in particular, nor are they signs or symbols of people.

Stephan Balkenhol’s sculpture “Gefangener” (translated as “Prisoner”) is a powerful piece of art that explores themes of identity, constraint, and the individual’s relationship to the broader world. The figure in the sculpture is a man, carved in a style typical of Balkenhol’s work: straightforward, somewhat stoic, and dressed in everyday clothing. He wears a simple white shirt and black trousers, clothing that emphasizes his ordinariness, as if he could be anyone—a universal human figure.

The figure’s stance, though static, conveys a sense of contemplation. His arms hang by his sides, his face is expressionless, as if absorbed in thought. But what stands out is the ball-and-chain device attached to his ankle, a classic symbol of imprisonment or servitude. However, in Balkenhol’s rendition, this ball is not just a solid, inert mass. On closer inspection, it is revealed to be a globe, intricately detailed to show the continents and oceans of the Earth.

This globe-as-shackle adds a layer of complexity to the interpretation of Gefangener. The man is not bound by a literal chain but by the world itself, symbolizing the inescapable interconnectedness of the individual with global structures—social, political, environmental, or even technological. The globe can be seen as a metaphor for the burdens of modern life, where the weight of the world, in both a literal and figurative sense, becomes an inescapable part of existence.

The contrast between the man’s ordinary, almost nondescript appearance and the weight he bears suggests that this is a universal condition: no one is immune to the constraints and pressures imposed by the world they inhabit. The anklet and globe also raise questions about freedom and autonomy. Is the figure trapped by the global systems he lives within, or is this a self-imposed burden, the result of personal choices that tie him to the world in unavoidable ways?

Balkenhol’s use of wood, bronze, and traditional carving methods creates a direct, tactile connection between the viewer and the figure. His style, often described as a return to figurative sculpture in contemporary art, is known for its raw, almost unfinished texture. This rawness adds to the sense of the figure’s humanity. Despite his constrained position, the man remains relatable, imperfect, and very much alive in his quiet endurance.

Ultimately, Gefangener prompts reflection on the human condition in an increasingly interconnected world. While the man’s outward appearance may seem unremarkable, the invisible forces that bind him are vast and profound. The sculpture suggests a paradox of modern life: the more we are connected to the world, the more we may feel trapped by it. Yet, at the same time, this connection is part of what defines us as individuals in a global society.

The sculpture is done of bronze which is alloy of copper with other metals (especially tin) used since ancient times. An ideal metal for high-quality artistic castings that will last for thousands of years. When casting bronze, the artist generally uses a process that is more than 5000 years old, the lost-wax casting process with a lost mold. It is the best, but also the most complex method of producing sculptures. First, the artist forms a model of his sculpture. This is then embedded in a liquefied silicone rubber mass. As soon as the material has solidified, the model is cut out. Liquid wax is poured into the resulting negative mold. After cooling, the wax cast is removed from the mold, provided with casting channels and dipped into a ceramic mass. The ceramic mass is hardened in the kiln and the wax flows out (lost mold).
Now you finally have the negative mold into which the molten bronze at approx. 1400° C is poured. Once the bronze has cooled, the ceramic shell is broken and the sculpture is revealed.
Now the casting channels are removed and the surfaces are polished, patinated and numbered by the artist himself or by a specialist according to his specifications. In this way, each cast becomes an original. For lower quality bronze castings, the sand bed process is often used, but its surface finish and quality cannot match the more elaborate lost wax process.