Linda Klarfeld facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linda Klarfeld
Linda Klarfeld at the Australian Ballet Garden Party 2011
Born	1 July 1978 Prague, Czechoslovakia
Nationality	Australian
Citizenship	Australian and Czech (dual)
Occupation	Sculptor
Years active	1994 – present

Linda Klarfeld (born 1 July 1978) is an Australian artist who creates sculptures. She uses materials like bronze and granite to make art that looks like people. Her sculptures can be tiny, like small faces, or very big, up to three meters tall! People buy her art for their homes or at special sales.

Early Life and Learning

Linda Klarfeld was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her family moved to Australia in 1980 when she was two years old. Her dad was a drummer in rock bands, and Linda says he helped her become creative.

Her family settled in Sydney, Australia. Linda went to Bonnyrigg Public School and Chatswood High School. Her parents wanted her to follow her artistic dreams. After high school, she started a seven-year training program to learn about sculpture.

During her training, she worked with sculptors from different countries. She learned from Ctibor Havelka, Vaclav Skalicky, and Vanessa Hoheb. She also studied at a special Stone Sculptors School in Horice, Czech Republic.

Her Career as a Sculptor

Teenage Years (1988 – 1995)

Linda Klarfeld sold her very first sculpture when she was only 14 years old. Soon after, she told her family she wanted to be a sculptor. She won many awards for her art during her teenage years.

Some sculptures of her father were shown in a special art show called ArtExpress in 1994. She also won big prizes at the Mosman Youth Art Prize for her sculptures named 'King Lear', 'Adolescent', and 'The Joyful Season'.

Twenties (1996 – 2005)

Linda went to Macquarie University and earned a degree in Psychology. She felt that studying how people think and act helped her art. She said, "I learned to observe people more closely."

She was inspired to create sculptures of Macquarie University graduates after seeing her own graduation ceremony.

During this time, Linda met Joan Abela, who became a big supporter of her work. Ms. Abela asked Linda to create many sculptures for her home, which was designed like a castle.

When Linda was 21, she had her first art show all by herself. Famous Australian adventurer Dick Smith opened the show.

At 22, Linda received a major request to create religious sculptures. These included “Gethsemane and The Way of the Cross 2000”. After this, she got many public requests. She made a life-size bronze sculpture of rugby player Peter Gallagher. She also created 'Expressions of Love', a group of 16 statues for the Hunter Valley Gardens.

Thirties (2006 – 2015)

In her thirties, Linda Klarfeld made sculptures of many famous Australians. These included Dr Victor Chang, cricketers Keith Miller and Bill Woodfull, AFL player Neil Roberts, and former Mayor of Mosman, Cr Dom Lopez.

In her personal art, she started focusing on the business world. She created the “Board of Directors Series,” which were sculptures showing different types of business people. She then made "Icons of Business," a collection of realistic sculptures of 11 important Australian business leaders.

During these years, Linda also became known for her religious sculptures. These pieces often showed strong emotions and dramatic religious stories. Some of her well-known religious works include St Marcellin Champagnat (2012) and St Mary Mackillop (2011).

Table Of Works