Ulrich Rückriem

Ulrich Rückriem is a renowned German sculptor, celebrated for his monumental stone sculptures. His abstract artworks are frequently associated with minimalism and process art.

Biography of Ulrich Rückriem

Ulrich Rückriem was born in 1938 in Düsseldorf, Germany. He was trained as a stonecutter in Düren and later worked as a journeyman at the Dombauhütte workshops of Cologne Cathedral.

His close association with Gallery Konrad Fischer brought him into contact with fellow artists such as Carl Andre, Richard Long, Sol LeWitt, and Royden Rabinowitch. Since 1963, he has pursued a career as a freelance artist.

For several years, he shared a studio with Blinky Palermo before embarking on his academic career. From 1974 to 1984, he was a professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg. From 1984 to 1988, he served as a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Since 1988, he has shared his knowledge at the Städelschule in Frankfurt.

Throughout his career, Ulrich Rückriem has received several awards and stipends, including:

• Förderpreis des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen für Bildende Kunst (1973);
• Deutscher Kritikerpreis für den Bereich Bildende Kunst (1984);
• Piepenbrock Preis für Skulptur, Berlin (1998);
• Großer Kulturpreis der Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland (2001);
• Kulturpreis des Kreises Düren (2015).

Many of Rückriem's artworks are accessible as public art, primarily in Germany but also in Spain, France, England, Ireland, and other countries.

His solo exhibitions have been held at various galleries and museums around the world, including Leopold-Hoesch-Museum in Düren, Galerie Löhrl in Mönchengladbach, Gallery Heinrich Ehrhardt in Madrid, Galerie Bernard Ceysson in Wandhaff, Annely Juda Fine Art in London, Koenig & Clinton in New York City, Bernier/Eliades Gallery in Athens, and many more.

Additionally, Rückriem's works have been featured in numerous group shows, including "Ins Blaue Hinein" at Galerie Löhrl in Mönchengladbach (2024), "Detrás do espello" at Museo Centro Gaiás in Santiago de Compostela (2023), "Line Up" at Galerie Tschudi in Zürich (2022), "Cuts Into Space" at Hall Art Foundation - Kunstmuseum Schloss Derneburg in Derneburg (2022), among others.

Currently, the artist lives and works in Köln, Germany.