An artist's life between craftsmanship and fine art
Kuno Lange, born in Dortmund in 1950, belongs to a generation of artists from the Ruhr region who draw their creative identity from a combination of craftsmanship and artistic freedom. His career reads like a consistent path from applied to fine art: after training and working as a gravure retoucher (1966–1971), he studied at the Krefeld University of Applied Sciences under Prof. Steiger and Prof. Albrecht, as well as at the Folkwang School in Essen, where he studied sculpture and nude drawing under Prof. Kratz and Prof. Reker. In 1982, he spent a semester studying at the renowned Rijksakademie Amsterdam. He has been working as a freelance sculptor and painter since 1978.
A versatile oeuvre
What distinguishes Kuno Lange's work is its remarkable versatility — both in his choice of disciplines and materials. His sculptural work includes sculptures in ceramic, bronze, polyester and steel, as well as works on paper. In two dimensions, he moves confidently between painting, drawing, wax crayon works, monotypes and free "scribbles". This breadth testifies to an artist who does not allow himself to be confined to one technique or medium, but always seeks dialogue between form, material and expression.
Particularly noteworthy are his ceramic heads, which are prominently featured on his website and clearly represent a central area of his work. They combine sculptural form-finding with an immediate, sometimes archaic expressiveness.
Art in public spaces
A significant part of Lange's work lies in the field of art in architecture and art in public spaces. Since the late 1980s, he has won numerous competitions and realised commissions throughout the Ruhr area and the Lower Rhine region, including
- Fountain design at the Kornmarkt in Wesel (1988, 1st prize winner)
- Steel sculpture "Durchblick" in Oberhausen (1993, 1st prize winner)
- Station forecourt design in Oberhausen-Osterfeld as part of the Emscherpark International Building Exhibition / IBA (1995)
- "Heresbach Monument" — market square design in Wesel (1996, 1st prize winner)
- "Die Streithähne" (The Quarrellers) for the sculpture trail in Dinslaken (2001, 1st prize winner, with Klaus Jost)
- "Schwarzholz" sculpture park at Haus Ripshorst, Oberhausen (2007, commissioned by the Regionalverband Ruhr)
Many of these projects were created in collaboration with fellow artist Klaus Jost, indicating a fruitful artistic partnership.
Networking and commitment
Kuno Lange has been a member of the Westfälischer Künstlerbund Dortmund (WKD) since 1976 and a member of the Verein Berliner Künstler (VBK) since 1986. His list of exhibitions, which spans from 1990 to 2016, is impressively long and includes solo and group exhibitions in galleries, museums and institutions across North Rhine-Westphalia — from the Ludwig Gallery at Oberhausen Castle to the Ostwall Museum in Dortmund and the Münsterland Museum at Burg Vischering. In addition, he has participated in land art symposia, sculpture trails and major cultural events such as the "Extraschicht".
Education and teaching
In addition to his own artistic work, Lange is intensively involved in art education. He has taught at the University of Essen (1985/86), led various qualification programmes for visual artists and realised projects as part of the state programme "Culture and School" as well as multicultural youth projects. In his studio in Mülheim-Heißen, he offers an extensive programme of courses throughout the year – from painting and sculpture to ceramics and nude drawing – for beginners and advanced students alike.
Kuno Lange embodies a type of artist who is deeply rooted in the Ruhr region and at the same time has an impact far beyond the region. His work combines technical mastery with artistic curiosity, his work in public spaces shapes the face of entire neighbourhoods, and his commitment as a teacher and mediator passes on what drives him: the conviction that art is a fundamental part of life.
