29 April 1910 – 31 July 1967, was a German metal artist, sculptor, photographer, and writer. Born in Berlin-Mariendorf, he trained as an artistic blacksmith and established his own workshop in Berlin-Bohnsdorf in 1937. Over the following decades he developed a multidisciplinary practice that combined craftsmanship, sculpture, photography, and design.

Kühn became internationally known for his forged metal works, sculptures, and architectural commissions. Working in postwar Germany, he realized numerous public art projects and developed an experimental approach to metal design that combined traditional craftsmanship with modernist forms. His works were installed in churches, public buildings, museums, and urban spaces throughout Germany.

Alongside his work as a sculptor, photography played an important role in his artistic practice from the late 1920s onward. His photographs focused on natural forms, structures, landscapes, and observations of the built environment, reflecting the same formal concerns that informed his metalwork. He published several photographic books, including Sehen und Gestalten – Natur und Menschenwerk (1951), Aus meiner Gräsermappe (1953), Licht – Land – Wasser (1958), Kompositionen in Schwarz und Weiß (1959), Stufen (1964), and Gottes harte Herrlichkeit (1964).

Although primarily remembered as one of the leading German metal artists of the postwar period, his photographic work has increasingly been reassessed through exhibitions and publications, revealing a parallel body of work that spans four decades and reflects a sustained interest in abstraction, nature, and visual structure.

Reference
Biography text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), German edition. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Kühn_