Maria Rubinke

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About The Work

At first glance, the round park bench appears frail. At the center, the stump of the tree that it once enclosed remains, its serpentine roots holding together the brittle wood. The bench, however, is anything but fragile. It has been cast in bronze and consists of more than 500 individually cast pieces.

The work “I found myself within a forest dark” (2024) is the most recent work by Danish sculptor Maria Rubinke, and the bench, much like the artist’s previous work, revolves around existential questions and the artist’s ongoing exploration of darkness. However, a glimmer of hope is present, as the roots suggest life underneath the surface.

About The Artist

Danish sculptor Maria Rubinke (b. 1985) first became noticed for her oftentimes cruel works in white porcelain. Today, the artist works primarily with bronze and marble and often in large scale.

She is a graduate of The Royal Danish Academy of Arts (2008) and has shown at Kastrupgaardsamlingen, Bornholm Art Museum, Vejle Art Museum, and EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Her work can be found in collections such as EMMA Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Haugar Vestfold Museum, Vejle Art Museum, CLAY, and Bornholm Art Museum. She is behind several commissions, such as the 4-meter-tall door for Restaurant Alchemist, a polar bear of solid Carrara marble at the harbor in Horsens as well as the door to Villa Gug in Aalborg by BIG Architects, among others.

Maria Rubinke is represented by Martin Asbæk Gallery.

Find out more about CHART in Tivoli 2024