Born in 1958 in Australia and currently living and working in England, Ron Mueck is considered one of the world’s most famous hyper-realistic sculptors. The human figures he sculpts are either smaller or larger than their natural size, yet they appear so lifelike that they seem to be breathing. In his works, he explores intimate and emotional moments such as birth, death, vulnerability, fear, and compassion.
Mueck gained public attention as a young artist in 1996 with his sculpture “Dead Dad,” which depicted his deceased and naked father in the most realistic manner possible. Since then, he has created giant realistic sculptures, later moving on to create larger-than-life installations featuring newborn babies or detached heads magnified to gigantic proportions. He sculpts initially with clay and then uses the clay sculpture to create a mold for the final sculpture, which is made from fiberglass for the body and flexible silicone for the head.
In the installation “Couple Under an Umbrella,” Ron Mueck sculpts an elderly couple in swimwear, enjoying their leisure time beneath a beach umbrella. He successfully captures the essence of an intimate moment between them, where they appear as if frozen in time.
Over the past two decades, Mueck has exhibited his work in renowned museums and galleries, including the Venice Biennale, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the National Gallery in London, and more.
