Paul Hopmeier

Born Sydney, Australia

Lives & Works Sydney (Eora)

Paul Hopmeier is an eminent Australian sculptor who has been exhibiting for over 30 years. He has been a leading proponent of public sculpture throughout his career and his own works can be seen in many public spaces around Sydney. Recently he has explored an elusive aesthetic quality linking objects across human history. His sculptures, inspired by works of art going back over three millennia, grapple with the physical matter of this quality and its production, as well as its possibility in contemporary sculpture. 

"Design is the complete opposite of sculpture. Design is precise, planned and resolved, whereas a sculpture is quite unpredictable. Making sculpture involves continuous feedback, where the processes of looking, thinking and doing are all contributing to the end result in an unconstrained and spontaneous way. The brain thinks but the hand doesn’t necessarily do what the brain tells it to do, so the result of any one action is unpredictable and must be entered into the feedback loop before the next decision is made and so on. The whole process must be in balance though, the brain should not dominate the hand or vice versa; what is needed is a natural technique, one that will open up more and more possibilities." 

Hopmeier's work is held in numerous public collections including Heide Museum of Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Macquarie University Sculpture Collection, Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Australia National University Collection, Colac Sculpture Park, Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Gallery, Mildura City Art Collection, University of Technology, Sydney, and private collections nationally and internationally.