Post War & Contemporary Art 
13 September 2023
Post War & Contemporary Art 
100

Erwin Wurm b.1954

ONKEL, variation 10

2022
porcelain and glazed bisque 18¾ h × 10¾ w × 6¾ d in (48 × 27 × 17 cm)
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $10,710
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Stamped signature and manufacturer's mark to underside ‘KPM E Wurm’. This work is number 10 from the variable edition produced in collaboration with Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM), Berlin. Sold with original packaging.
provenance: Important Private Collection

This work will ship from Los Angeles, California.

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At some point I came to realise that everything surrounding me can be material for an artistic work, absolutely everything.

Erwin Wurm

Erwin Wurm's ONKEL

Erwin Wurm launched his collaboration with Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM), titled ONKEL, in 2022. Intrigued by the public’s enthusiasm for Wurm’s large, whimsical sculptures such as a woman’s handbag atop striding legs, KPM owner Jörg Woltmann tapped the artist to bring his “deformalist” approach to porcelain. The resulting edition features a series of uniquely suited torsos devoid of the defining features of a head or hands. Instead, the form functions as a vase, inviting flowers or other arrangements to take the place of traditional portraiture once produced by porcelain studios such as KPM.

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