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Richard Berner
Smooth Champ - Minimalist sculpture

2023

$1,012.76
£750
€873.87
CA$1,421.51
A$1,550.44
CHF 815.21
MX$18,605.95
NOK 10,292.87
SEK 9,600.44
DKK 6,526.51

About the Item

Richard Berner, Smooth Champ, 2023 Polyurethane Resin, Acrylic Base, Individually Hand Painted and Spray Varnished 25 x 12 cm (9.84 x 4.72 in) Edition of 19 of 20 Hand-signed and numbered by the artist Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity This piece is from Richard Berner’s 2023 solo show You Can Be Anything (*or Nothing). The show was an exploration of the ambiguity of art and its capacity to mean everything to one person, and absolutely nothing to the next. This piece is from Berner’s debut series of sculptures, marking the first time his signature cast of loveable characters have been rendered in 3D form. Bio: Richard Berner is an internationally collected artist based in Brighton, UK, working in a variety of mediums. He is best known for his distinctive and highly detailed pieces, using inks, fine liner pens and gouache paint. He created visual alchemy by constructing iconic images, often formed of countless figures or 'champs'. Influenced by the Surrealists, Berner draws upon the bizarre and absurd, citing Dali and M.C. Escher as his biggest inspirations, which can be seen in his unique and dream-like pieces. Berner challenges assumptions with a well-honed sense of irony and dark humour. Juxtaposing life and death, Berner invites the viewer to come in closer and devour an endless story of their own within his art. Woven through the intimate and dynamic images are powerful, surreal and very human messages. The champs are surviving and perishing within the same space. Hope and despair go hand in hand. They have been thought of as everything from lost souls to lemmings; Berner considers them all champs. This contemporary sculpture presents a stylised anthropomorphic figure with a minimalist, cartoon-like aesthetic. Smoothly contoured and finished in a clean monochrome, the figure features simplified anatomical details — subtle nipples, a navel, and male genitalia — which contrast with its childlike, rounded form. With a downturned mouth and vacant eyes, the piece conveys a quiet sense of melancholy and vulnerability, balanced by its playful, surreal character. Resting on a glossy black plinth, the sculpture carries both presence and intimacy. Its refined yet raw design positions it within the worlds of pop surrealism, urban contemporary art, and collectable design objects. A striking addition for collectors of contemporary sculpture, street art–inspired works, and limited edition design pieces, this artwork invites reflection on themes of innocence, fragility, and the human condition while offering a bold statement piece for display. Keywords: Contemporary Sculpture, Pop Surrealism, Urban Contemporary Art, Collectible Art, Modern Figurative Sculpture, Minimalist Pop Art, Design Collectible.
  • Creator:
    Richard Berner (British)
  • Creation Year:
    2023
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 9.85 in (25 cm)Width: 4.73 in (12 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Manchester, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2261217189222

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