Historical information

Inge KING (26 November 1915 – 23 April 2016)
Born Berlin, Germany
Arrived Australia 1951

Inge King trained as a wood carver and studied at the Berlin Academy (1937-1939), Royal Academy London (1940), and the Glascow School of Art (1941-1843) . She moved to London in 1847 and began carving organic abstract forms in wood and stone. In 1949-50 she went on a study tour to the United States of America where she was inspired to work in metal . Inge King arrived in Australia in 1951 and she completed several large scale public works.

Between 1861 and 1875 Inge King lectured at the Institute of Early Childhood Development, Kew. From 1976 to 1987 she lectured in Sculpture at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She was a founding member of the Ceminal Centre Five group, and she actively lobbied architects, governments and State galleries to include modernist sculptures in their plans and displays.

In 1991 Inge King joined the first National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Public Art Committee, advising on public art at risk and worthy of Trust classification. The Australian Women's Art Register describes Inge King as having been at the forefront of developing a non figurative vocabulary in Australian Sculpture.

Physical description

Welded bronzed steel sculpture painted black and red.


This sculpture by Inge King was purchased in 1967 with funds raised by staff and students of Ballarat Teachers' College, a predecessor institution of Federation University Australia. During this era a collection was made which resulted in an annual purchase or commission of an artwork of note.

The Federation University Art Collection features over 1000 works and was listed as a 'Ballarat Treasure' in 2007.

Inscriptions & markings

Signed 'I. King' on the lower steel plate.