Stephan Balkenhol studied sculpture at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg. He now lives and works Meisenthal, France and Karlsruhe, Germany where, since 1992, he has been Professor at the Akademie für Bildende Künste, having taught previously at Kunsthochschule Hamburg and Städelschule, Frankfurt. As an artist he is best known for his human figures and heads carved out of wooden blocks using traditional tools. He has exhibited internationally and continues to have solo exhibitions regularly as well as participating in group exhibitions, recently at Museum of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, ARCO 08, Madrid and Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris.