Karl Schenk
Born in 1905.
Died in 1973.
Karl Schenk (Bern, 1905–1973) was a Swiss painter and sculptor. The son of an artistic metalworker, he was directed towards the profession of tombstone carver, but continued his artistic training alongside it, notably through studies in drawing and anatomy. A scholarship took him to Paris in 1934; there, he further developed his work and established contacts with the sculptors Édouard-Marcel Sandoz and Arnold Huggler.
Upon returning to Bern, he established himself as an independent artist.
Schenk worked in sculpture, relief, portraiture, drawing and painting. Several commissions established his presence in Bern’s public space: “Sein und Werden” at Bremgarten Cemetery, the figures for the radio studio, and works for the water-distribution facilities. He also created a large mosaic, “Trinkender Faun”, as well as a monumental stained-glass window for the municipality of Köniz.
This presence in buildings, schools and urban spaces gives his work a public and accessible dimension. The museum dedicated to the artist also documents busts of prominent figures, figurative sculptures and paintings. His works can thus be encountered beyond the museum, throughout the city and in its public buildings.
