Played an integral role
The highly regarded Danish sculptor, Keld Moseholm, passed away this month at the age of 87 after many decades of wonderful work.
Keld first exhibited in Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in 1999 and since that time built a significant reputation across Australia for his sculptures that often use humour to inspire or pose challenging questions while they bring a smile to face of the viewer. In 2010 Keld received the major award in our Bondi exhibition, then known as the Balnaves Sculpture Award, with the artwork 'Mirroring' gifted for permanent public display in the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. This accolade was followed by a milestone in 2013 when Keld joined the Decade Club for artists who have exhibited in Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 10 times or more. Keld was also approaching his 10th exhibition in Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe in Perth, Western Australia, where his sculptures were equally well received by the public and collectors as they had been in Sydney.
Sometimes significant artists build a profile overseas before being appropriately recognised at home, this was the case for Keld. For although his sculptures had been commissioned for many prominent public locations across Denmark, it was not until 2016 that he had his first major public gallery exhibition in Denmark with a retrospective at the Faaborg Museum.
Keld and his wife Bente have a wonderful home, gallery, studio and sculpture garden near the City of Faaborg. Many people close to Sculpture by the Sea have visited them over the years, including en route to the City Aarhus where Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus was held every two years from 2009 - 2015, in which Keld was a regular exhibitor.
More recently, Keld has had two sculptures included in the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail permanent collection in southern New South Wales in Australia. The first of these works was funded by a gift from the Friendship Society of Denmark, Australia and New Zealand in a gesture of international friendship in response to the Black Summer Fires of 2019 - 2020. Keld's sculpture in Tumbarumba 'Together We Are Strong' was so well received that many people across the Snowy Valleys asked for a sculpture by Keld for their town as well. We drew the line at one more, 'The Kiss', which is installed in Batlow and are very pleased the Snowy Valleys collection has these two works.
In this the year of the 25th Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi it goes without saying that Keld has played an integral role in the development and growth of the exhibition as one of the first notable international artists to visit on the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, and who returned time and again.
We thank Keld and Bente for their friendship and sculpture.
David Handley, Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi
