Inge King Australian sculptor Date of Birth: 26.11.1915 Country: Germany

1. Inge King: Pioneer of Abstract Sculpture in Australia
2. Escape from Nazi Germany
3. Bronze and Expressionism
4. A New Home in Australia
5. The Group of Four
6. Central Group of Five and Monumental Art
7. Later Years and Legacy

Inge King: Pioneer of Abstract Sculpture in Australia

Inge King was an Australian sculptor and one of the first abstract artists in the country. Born into a Jewish family, she began her formal training as a sculptor in 1936 and was accepted into the Berlin Academy of Arts in 1937.

Escape from Nazi Germany

Due to her Jewish heritage, King was expelled from the academy in 1938. She fled Nazi Germany the following year, settling in England where she studied at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Glasgow School of Art.

Bronze and Expressionism

King's early work, such as her 1943 bronze sculpture "Warsaw," reflected the horrors of the Second World War. During a trip to Paris and New York in 1950, she encountered abstract expressionism, a movement that would have a profound influence on her.

A New Home in Australia

In 1951, King married Australian artist Graham King and immigrated with him to Australia. Abstract sculpture was virtually unknown in the country at the time.

The Group of Four

In 1953, King, along with Julius Kane, Clifford Last, and Norma Redpath, formed the Group of Four in Melbourne. This group created modernist, abstract sculptures with geometric forms using industrial materials. King initially worked with stone and wood, but in 1959 she began oxy-acetylene cutting metal.

Central Group of Five and Monumental Art

In 1961, the Group of Four expanded to become the Central Group of Five. King played a key role in drafting the group's manifesto, which emphasized the importance of joint exhibitions. These exhibitions were held in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1974, and 1984.

From the 1960s to the late 1980s, King primarily created monumental sculptures made of stainless steel, which were installed in public spaces across Australia.

Later Years and Legacy

In her later years, King worked with bronze, casting smaller-scale sculptures. Her work continues to be celebrated for its boldness, originality, and influence on the development of abstract sculpture in Australia.