Erwin Wurm was born in Bruck an der Mur, in Austria and currently, he lives in Vienna and Limberg. He studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna and also at the Academy of Fine Arts in Austria. He is known above all for his strange depictions of everyday life as well as his humorous approach to the Formalism style.
Erwin Wurm takes something mundane and enlarges, curves, or otherwise distorts it. Not only does he aim for the viewer to look closer at the sculpture but also find its true meaning. In fact, his inspiration comes from his love of everyday life. Therefore everything around him is useful and also a part of his creative process.
Working with everyday objects such as nails, screws, and almost anything else, Wurm creates sculptures that make people question exactly what defines a sculpture.
‘I would like one part of my work to become ephemeral by speaking. I make works where people say sentences and that’s the sculpture, which only exists in your head for a period of time. But this is just one part. Also, I like other things so I’m always trying different stuff and experimenting in different ways. It’s very exciting for me. But yeah, I both enjoy and doubt myself, which is part of it.’ — Erwin Wurm.