Axel Haberstroh
Monkey in a Two-Man Bob
When the makers of Monkey 47 had the idea of having a monkey sculpture made to honour outstanding individuals and deeds, it soon became clear that Axel Haberstroh was the right man for the job. The artist lives with his family in Basel and, like Monkey 47, is a product of the Black Forest with international influences. He was born in Schonach in 1963, surrounded by cuckoo clocks and winter sports. In his youth, he manufactured the traditional clocks, did ski-jumping in Schonach, and came second in the Black Forest two-man bobsleigh championships in Innsbruck. Thanks to various grants, he later travelled to Chicago and Moscow to study art. After graduating from the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts, Haberstroh focused on exactly what Monkey 47 was looking for: transforming two-dimensional models into three-dimensional works of art. From illustrations, he produced meticulously crafted miniatures, which the artist then carved from wood with surgical precision or sculptures and installations that give spatial form to photographic motifs. For this complex task, Haberstroh studied egret monkeys, visited zoos and natural history museums, produced sketches, and created models. He then retired to his Karlsruhe studio for almost two months to work in peace on a detailed original model. Two months that were to prove worthwhile.
