Uwe Spiekermann

Brief biography of the artist

1963Born in Hanover
1980-83Apprenticeship as a stone sculptor in his father's company, 1st state and 2nd national winner in the stone sculptor's competition.
1988Master craftsman examination as stone sculptor
1992Admission to the Bund Bildender Künstler (Fine Arts Association)
1994Participation in the 1st Int. Artist symposium, Widnau, Switzerland
2001Exhibition and study trip to Joinville, Brazil at the invitation of the city of Langenhagen.
2016Admission to the art-craft-design working group in Hanover
2019Lower Saxony State Prize for the Design Craft 2019.

Käthe Kollwitz

Handwriting, carved in stone

"Snow-white and the very highest quality are the minimum requirements for the marble of a portrait of Käthe Kollwitz to be installed in the Walhalla Hall of Fame in Donaustauf of the Bavarian King Ludwig I", says stone sculptor Uwe Spiekermann from Hanover. For years now, only Lasa marble from the Whitewater quarry (Weißwasserbruch) has been used for this task. "It is almost too noble a material for the socially critical Käthe Kollwitz, whose serious and admonishing life's work was dedicated to ordinary people," the artist continues. And so he receives a carefully selected solid piece of the rare LASA BIANCO STATUARIO® variety for this special task.

In times of digital methods of creation and computer-milled objects, Spiekermann has returned very far to the classical way of working with this portrait bust, the supreme discipline of sculpture, and very slowly the work has "grown" through his craftsmanship. Three preliminary studies were made and then the model was made in about one and a half times life size, modelled in white Plasticine for a better idea, the moulding in plaster and the transfer done by the stippling process.

The surface of the bust shows all the steps of creation and work: blasting, bossing and pointing, a pickling iron impact stain, rough scratch marks from rasping to the finest grinding of the heights. Finished quite traditionally with hammer and bronze mallet to give the bust a lively and authentic look in the skin and hair surfaces. "The bust grows from back to front, from rough to fine, the processes become visible," says Spiekermann "the back of the bust is even left unfinished, simply sawn, just as the raw piece was handed to me."

Every stroke of the artist, his mark and handwriting remain visible. Just like every stroke in the works of the outstanding graphic artist, painter and sculptor Käthe Kollwitz.

With this outstanding work, the artist Spiekermann has succeeded in creating a lifelike and authentic presence in Valhalla for Käthe Kollwitz, who is there in the best company alongside personalities from German and European history.

Information about the artist

Artist Uwe Spiekermann
Hometown Langenhagen (D)
Country Germany

Information about the artwork

Name Käthe Kollwitz
State / location Germany
Year 2018/2019
Place of location Donaustauf, Walhalla (D)
Dimensions Portrait bust, 1,5 times larger than life size
Material / technique Marble LASA
Marble variety LASA Bianco Statuario®
Credits © Ursula Hildebrand