Kim Seungwoo

Kim Seungwoo is a contemporary Korean sculptor, based in Seoul, South Korea, famous for his sculptures made of coins. Seungwoo says, "I stack the coins one by one without taking a break to make a cubic object. The repetitive actions endlessly are a time of tiredness and hardship. I do rework on it to find the desired shape and find out another way as it was not matched with my estimation. Getting an answer to the changes and orders of new shape and satisfaction obtained as such becomes energy throughout making the work. The actions and time relieve the worry on the skill and harmony of the shape while working as the image of the material is powerful. I am attracted to ecstasy at the moment by moment when the work reveals its form slowly as if the result is broken out of the egg. I am talking about money. I try to make the coin itself to be a workpiece not as a function of money and to make the work to be coined. It is a consideration of the pros and cons of the money and the viewpoints such as the social ambition and value are listed through my works."

If you’re thinking about decorating your space with abstract sculpture, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

You don’t have to look for a piece that demands attention. Find a work of abstract sculpture that speaks to you. As is the case with any abstract art, whether it’s sculpture, an abstract painting or a grouping of prints, you can select a work for your living room or dining room, for example, that will either casually fade into the background or serve as a focal point. When you’re thinking about how to arrange your furniture and decor, consider color, texture and what kind of energy you’d like a specific room or corner to evoke. Abstract sculpture can go a long way in elevating a home, and its history is interesting if you’re shopping for a new piece today.

As a pioneer in naturalistic forms and figures that vividly express emotion, Auguste Rodin is often called the father of modern sculpture. His work in the 19th and early 20th century broke with artistic conventions and inspired modernism, leading to a new period of avant-garde abstraction.

Among the first artists to push abstract sculpture into the mainstream were Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. They helped define the movement of Cubism, which focused on deconstructing the world abstractly.

Later in the 20th century, the artistic movements of Italian Futurism, Dadaism, Neo-Dadaism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and minimalism all contributed to the advancement of new and more abstract sculpture designs. Italian Futurism, for example, celebrated movement, dynamics and technology in abstract sculpture. These movements passed down ideas that continue to inform abstract sculpture today.

Browse a range of modern abstract sculptures, postmodern abstract sculptures and other kinds of sculpture on 1stDibs.