A tree's body is itself a sculpture
— Giuseppe Penone
Giuseppe Penone (b. 1947, Garessio, Italy) is a pivotal figure in contemporary sculpture whose practice, while historically rooted in the developments of the 1960s and the Arte Povera movement, has consistently evolved into a singular artistic territory defined by a profound engagement with the natural world and the concept of “living sculpture.” Penone’s work, often grounded in elemental materials such as wood, stone, and bronze, explores the porous boundary between the human body and the environment, articulating a sustained investigation into the tactile space between the hand and the material it contacts. Through this dialogue, he reveals hidden growth, memory, and transformation, subtly reversing or exposing natural processes to evoke a deep sense of presence and continuity.
Throughout his career, Penone has persistently examined the interplay between imprint and sight, gesture and action, articulating a nuanced terrain where sculpture and drawing meet and where organic forms register traces of time, touch, and growth. Wood—especially the living tree—remains one of his principal touchpoints, functioning not merely as material but as a witness to duration, change, and the reciprocity between nature and human intervention.
Penone’s work continues to resonate on the global stage. In 2025, his recent solo exhibition at Serpentine Galleries, London opened to critical acclaim, further consolidating his relevance in contemporary discourse. Earlier that year, The Logic of the Vegetal – Metamorphosis was presented at Desert X AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia, and in May 2024 he unveiled a major site-specific sculpture commissioned by the Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation for its sculpture park on Royal Djurgården, Sweden.
His extensive exhibition history includes recent solo presentations at Galleria Borghese, Rome (2023); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2022); Philadelphia Museum of Art (2022); Villa Medici, Rome (2021); Palais d’Iéna – CESE, Paris (2019); Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK (2018); Château La Coste, France (2017); Palazzo della Civiltà, Rome (2017); Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE (2017); Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (2016); Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas (2015); Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne (2015); Beirut Art Center (2014); Musée de Grenoble (2014); Château de Versailles (2013); Kunstmuseum Winterthur (2013); Madison Square Park, New York (2013); and Whitechapel Gallery, London (2013).
A veteran of the world’s most significant artistic surveys, Penone has participated in the Venice Biennale five times (1978, 1980, 1986, 1995, 2007) and in documenta V, VII, VIII, and XIII (1972, 1982, 1987, 2012). In 2023 he was inducted as a Foreign Associate Member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. His many honors include the McKim Medal (2017) and the Praemium Imperiale International Arts Award for Sculpture (2014).
Penone lives and works in Italy.