Christian Tobin

Christian Tobin is an outstanding contemporary sculptor and known as the founder of kinetic stone sculptures.
Born 1956 in Munich, high school graduate, sculptor apprenticeship.
In the 1980`s art studies at the Munich Academy in the subject of large scale sculpturing in combination with architecture. Graduation with a masters degree under Prof. Leo Kornbrust.
While studying, he develops his interest in kinetic sculpture, which has a major influence on his further works. Already the first generation of these sculptures, the floating sheres carries him across the globe. Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands,
Finland, Japan and the USA are fascinated by this new dynamic.
His style evolves to figurative, dancing stone-columns and later to the amorphic shapes of ice age boulders (erratic blocks).
Lastely Christian Tobin discovers water as a new sculptural component. This opens a
wide spectrum of possibilities to react on spatial situations.

In the 90´s another main theme is coming up: Inspired by his experiences with astronavigation, Christian Tobin creates sculptures with an astro-physical background.
In cooperation with scientists and specialists of the “Deutsches Museum” in Munich, Tobin acquires a profound knowledge in gnomonic sciences.
Several important time sculptures on public places are produced:
Large scale horizontal sundials on the “Theaterplatz” in Aschaffenburg/Germany and in front of the German Horologic Museum in Furtwangen, the Sundial Garden of “Deutsches Museum” in Munich and time sculptures for the Volkswagen Group in front of “Autostadt Wolfsburg”.

The fin project, a huge astrophysical project in Capetown that honours Nelson Mandela is about to be realised.

Christian Tobin´s latest challenge ìs, to research the secrets of waves, their origin and their interferences. Turning water surfaces into stone – the idea is, to create singular portraits of Earth, based on conditions in real-time and on real locations. The project wavelength is supported by the scientists of DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen (German Aerospace Center)
In addition to these major projects (which sometimes take years for realisation), Christian Tobin works on smaller sculptures, consisting of different materials. A continuing series of steel pictures concentrates on the classical topic of nude studies.

Christian Tobin lives and works close to Munich with his wife Gabriela, a sculptor as well. He also maintains a studio in Lagos, Portugal