Rainer Kurka (born 1974) began to learn carving sandstone at the age of 15 from the sculptor Reinhard Klesse in Bamberg.
In 1994 he matriculated in architecture at the Technical University of Darmstadt. There he studied modelling and figurative drawing at the professors Floriano Bodini and Ariel Auslender. He fashioned figures in terracotta, plaster, sandstone, marble and bronze.
Between 1997 and 1998 he studied at the Universitá degli Studi di Firenze in Florece/Italy.
Working as assistant professor at the department of plastic design at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Rainer Kurka researched the application of concrete for artistic design.
He developed a new technique of designing concrete surfaces which he called Betografie.
Rainer Kurka has realized various public commissions, the most recent will be the creation of a life sized bronze figure for the town centre of Bamberg.
Presently Rainer Kurka lives and works in Berlin.
Art fairs
2012 Art Bodensee, Dornbirn (Austria) with Galerie Sculptur
Art Karlsruhe (Germany) with Galerie Gering and Galerie Sophien Edition
2011 Cutlog, Paris (France) with Galerie Sculptur
Realisme Amsterdam (Netherlands) with Galerie Gering
Art Karlsruhe (Germany) with Galerie Gering
2010 Art Karlsruhe (Germany) with Galerie Gering
2009 Art Karlsruhe (Germany) with Galerie Gering
Solo exhibitions
2012 "Rainer Kurka - Terrakotta und Bronze", Galerie Gering, Frankfurt (Germany)
2011 "Rainer Kurka und Silvia Lerin", Galerie Sophien-Edition, Berlin (Germany)with Silvia Lerin
2009 "Gegenwarten" Rosenheim-Museum, Offenbach (Germany)
2008 "Plastiken", Galerie Sculptur, Bamberg (Germany)
2007 "Stille Räume", Galerie Sculptur, Bamberg (Germany)
2004 "Tra Cielo e Terra", Florence (Italy)
Group exhibitions (selection)
2012 "MyPlace", Kunstverein Münsterland in Coesfeld (Germany)
2010 "65 Jahre Pfälzische Sezession", Kulturhof Flachsgasse in Speyer (Germany)
2010 "Menschenbild 2010", exhibition of the Darmstädter Sezession, Darmstadt (Germany)
2010 "Überbrücken", Schloss Wertingen (Germany)
2009 "Ausstellung zum Kunstpreis der Nürnberger Nachrichten", Nürnberg (Germany)
2005 "beziehungsweisen", Elisabethenstift, Darmstadt (Germany)
2005 "Plein Air 2005", Academy of Arts in Szeged (Hungary)
2001 "Interregno II", Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany)
2000 "Bilder aus Thailand", Embassy of Thailand, Berlin (Germany)
1999 "Interregno", Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany)
Competitions and Prizes
2011 Competition: "Art for the Landesgartenschau Bamberg 2012", realization of a life sized bronze figure for the Bamberg Garden Festival in 2012
2010 Competition: "Atrium of the Clementine Hospital in Frankfurt", 1st prize with Ariel Auslender and Olivere Hantke
2008 Competition: "New Entrance for the Alice Hospital in Darmstadt", 1st prize and realization with Ariel Auslender
2006 Competition: "Memorial sculpture for the Community Center Möhrfelden", 2nd prize