Swiss artist Hans Josephsohn, known for subtle, roughhewn sculptures of bodies and faces that range from humorous to haunting, has died at the age of 92, according to Tribune de Genève. The news comes to us via Artforum.
Mr. Josephsohn was born in 1920 in Kaliningrad, East Prussia, which is now part of Russia. He was based for decades in Zurich, where he moved after fleeing Italy in the 1930s, and was a student there of painter and graphic designer Otto Müller (not the Otto Müller of Die Brücke fame).
Though he showed frequently in Europe, beginning in the early 1950s, he appeared in New York very rarely. His last one-person show in the city was at Peter Blum Gallery in 2006. This year his work was included in the Ugo Rondinone–curated show “The Spirit Level” at Gladstone Gallery, and a three-person show held at Gavin Brown’s townhouse in Harlem during Frieze New York.
Hauser & Wirth, which represented him in recent years, said in a statement posted to its website, “We look back in fond memory on his life and are proud to have had the privilege to work with such an inspiring artist and incredible person.”
