Sculptures

Sculptures in Steel

Steel is a versatile and robust material, perfectly suited for sculpture. Thomas Lehnigk’s steel sculptures are characterized by their recurring, flowing lines and distinctive forms.

Steel has been used since antiquity and saw significant development during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Today, it remains a favored material in the arts, known for creating powerful and enduring works that can withstand both indoor and outdoor environments.

Sculptures in Stone and Bog Iron Ore

Stone

Stone is one of the oldest materials used by humans for sculpture and continues to be valued today. Thomas Lehnigk prefers to work with various types of stone, including bog iron ore, which is found in northern Germany. These stones are notable for their natural beauty and resilience.

Working with stone requires patience and precision, as every strike of the chisel influences the final form. Over centuries, stonemasons and sculptors have developed techniques to reveal the hidden shapes within stone, crafting impressive works of art.
Lehnigk’s stone sculptures embody tradition, marked by his distinctive and recurring design language.

Bog Iron Ore

Bog iron ore is a brownish-black, iron-rich rock that formed in clumpy deposits (locally known as “Klump”) about 30 centimeters below the surface of grasslands. In northern Germany, deposits developed after the last Ice Age during the Holocene, particularly in the sandy floodplain regions of rivers like the Elde, Rögnitz, Sude, Schale, and Boize.

Since the Ice Age, bog iron ore with an iron oxide content of around 45% has been mined and smelted in Mecklenburg. Local iron production from Klump dates back to around 300 BC and continued until the mid-18th century, when shortages of wood ended the practice. In the 18th and 19th centuries, bog iron ore was also used as an inexpensive building material for houses, churches, and city walls, especially in regions poor in stone like the “Griese Gegend.”

Bog iron ore is Lehnigk’s favorite stone. It consists mainly of gravelly iron oxides and behaves quite differently from typical sculpting stones. It is a material with character. Born in Mecklenburg, Thomas Lehnigk is especially known for his “Mecklenburg Bulls” sculpted from bog iron ore, which have become one of his artistic hallmarks.

Sculptures in Bronze

Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, has been valued for thousands of years in art and craftsmanship. The Bronze Age marked a significant era in human history, during which tools, weapons, and artworks were created from this material.

Thomas Lehnigk uses bronze to give his sculptures a noble and timeless character. Bronze allows for detailed and intricate shapes through casting. Over time, the natural patina that forms on its surface adds further depth and personality to the works. Each bronze sculpture by Lehnigk is produced in a limited edition, continuing the rich tradition of this noble material while also setting his own modern accents.