Inge King AO (1915–2016) was at the forefront of the development of non-figurative sculpture in Australia and remained one of Australia’s outstanding sculptors into her 80s – a time in her life during which she continued to develop innovative work. Born in Berlin, King studied sculpture in Germany before fleeing to England after Kristallnacht in late 1938. After further study in Glasgow, she settled permanently in Australia in 1951, becoming one of the founding members of the influential 'Centre 5' group whose stated aim was to 'help foster greater public awareness of contemporary sculpture in Australia'. The group also advocated the advancement of abstraction in sculpture, which by the 1970s was characterised by the use of industrial techniques and materials such as sheet steel. Inge King held more than 26 solo exhibitions, including a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1992 and one at the National Gallery of Australia in 2015, and she participated in more than 60 group shows in London, New York, Australia and New Zealand.
Purchased with funds from the Basil Bressler Bequest 2003
© Estate of Mark Strizic
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