Sigmar Polke

Sigmar Polke (1941–2010) was a groundbreaking German artist born in Oels, Lower Silesia (now Olesnica, Poland). A central figure in postwar European art, Polke lived and worked primarily in Germany, where he developed a reputation for his radical, multidisciplinary approach. Originally trained as a glass painter in 1959, he later studied at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. In 1963, alongside Gerhard Richter and others, he helped launch the term "Capitalist Realism" with an exhibition in a Düsseldorf butcher’s shop. Throughout his life, Polke defied categorisation, working across painting, photography, and installation. In the 1970s, he focused on photography, returning to painting in the 1980s with chemically reactive materials that gave his works a sense of spontaneity and unpredictability. In his later years, Polke explored historical and political themes, frequently using alchemical techniques and materials.

Polke’s influence on contemporary art is immense, underscored by major retrospectives at institutions such as MoMA, Tate Modern, and the Museum Ludwig. He exhibited widely across Europe, North America, and Asia, and participated in major biennales, including Documenta and the Venice Biennale—where he won the Golden Lion in 1986. His work is held in leading museum collections globally, including the Centre Pompidou, The Met, MoMA, Tate, and the Guggenheim Bilbao. His art market remains strong and liquid, supported by representation from galleries such as Michael Werner and David Zwirner, and frequent exhibitions by the artist's estate. Polke received numerous prestigious awards, including the Erasmus Prize (1994), Carnegie Prize (1995), and Praemium Imperiale (2002), cementing his legacy as one of the most important European artists of the 20th century.