Chewing gum (2009) Sculpture by Michal Fuhrer

Michal Fuhrer is a contemporary Israeli sculptor. She is creating figurative sculptures using bronze, metal wires, composite materials and industrial paints.

Working within the tradition of Pop Art, Fuhrer’s sculptures usually have round shapes and a smooth and glossy finish. At the same time, her sculptures touch upon delicate and sincere human moments within contemporary society. A sculpture of a man braving a jump into unknown waters, or attempting a graceful ballerina posture unfitting his round shape, serve as metaphors for human emotions, desires and conflicts. Alongside these social observations, Fuhrer’s sculptures also draw upon a wide range of cultural references, from 19th century craftsmanship to Disney animation.

Fuhrer’s sculptures also take iconic shapes and manipulate them in ways that give them new, contemporary meanings. A three-dimensional heart shape is covered with stick-on tattoos, changing this symbol of eternal love into one of living in the moment; an egg shape is added a zipper, mixing this emblem of birth with the feeling of a newly bought consumerist product.

As part of her dialog with the tradition of pop art, one of Fuhrer’s sculptural projects deals with the relationship between the fragile ecology of planet earth and the indestructible esthetic of Pop Art sculptures of the last several decades. In this series, everyday objects are greatly enlarged, and instead of being covered with a glossy and impenetrable finish, they are left to rust in their bare metal core.

Michal Fuhrer was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, where she studied sculpture, sketching and art at the Academy of Art Beit Berl and at "Basis" Academy of art. She has been working in the field of art since 1984 and exhibited all over the world.

• Nationality: ISRAEL
• Date of birth : 1953
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Israeli Artists