Duane Hanson (1925-1996), born in Alexandria, Minnesota, is an American sculptor renowned for his hyperrealistic depictions of working-class subjects. Beginning in 1967, he created his first life-sized sculptures from live models, addressing the social and political issues of his time before arriving at his most distinctive style: everyday figures in relaxed postures, placed within the same space as the viewer and rendered with meticulous realism. These works have since become iconic and emblematic within the world of contemporary art. Combining technical precision with social sensitivity, Hanson built a body of work that placed ordinary life at the center, restoring dignity and expressive strength to figures often marginalized by art. His distinguished exhibition history includes presentations at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, Arkansas), Fondation Beyeler in Basel, the Serpentine Gallery in London, as well as participation in Manifesta 11 in Zurich in 2016.
