Helmut Heinze

In 1988 Heinze travelled to Italy for the first time, followed by a second trip in 1992. Heinze was a member of the Higher Education Commission of Saxony from 1991 to 1993, participating in the reorganisation of Saxony's universities after the Peaceful Revolution of 1989. He became a member of the art commission of the city of Dresden in 1995. In 1997 Heinze retired as professor at Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and moved from Dresden to Kreischa a year later. Until 2012 Heinze worked on his sculpture Chor der Überlebenden (Choir of Survivors) for Stiftung Frauenkirche Dresden. The 2.77 m statue depicting seven figures was installed at Coventry Cathedral in May 2012 as a sign of reconciliation. Heinze was working on a design for a memorial for the victims of the Bombing of Dresden in World War II since the 1960s. For his 80th birthday Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden dedicated the exhibition Figur und Porträt (figure and portrait) to Heinze at the Albertinum. Heinze's works are part of the collection of the Skulpturensammlung, the National Gallery, the Dresden City Museum, the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle (Saale), the Museum der bildenden Künste as well as the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz – Museum am Theaterplatz.

Together with Wilhelm Landgraf he created the group sculpture Ballspieler (alternative title: Studenten beim Sport in 1971) that was placed in front of Dresden University of Technology's student residences at Wundstraße. Heinze was lecturer for sculpture at Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in 1972 and became head of the department of sculpture in 1976, followed by his professorship in sculpting in 1979. Amongst his students was Thomas Jastram. Later in 1981 Heinze got a solo exhibition of his works at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and was awarded with the Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic. In 1984 the Martin-Andersen-Nexö art award of the city of Dresden was conferred on Heinze.

In 1961 Heinze received a university teaching position in figure drawing with architectural specialisation at Dresden University of Technology. During this time he was research assistant to Walter Howard, professor for architectural sculpture. Soon after, in 1969 he became lecturer for architecture at Dresden University of Technology and taught the basics of design.

In his earlier career Heinze was influenced by Gerhard Marcks, whose Cologne studio he visited in 1956. Later on Heinze was inspired by the gothic sculptures of Wilhelm Lehmbruck with their long and thin bodies. Over the years Heinze's focus shifted from the visual idea to the artistic idea of his works.

Influenced by Hans Steger, whom Heinze met in 1955 and who understood sculpting as applied psychology, Heinze created several statues featuring particle-like crimping and sparse surfaces, while keeping his designs realistic.

In 1950 Heinze began his studies at Dresden Academy of Fine Arts under Erich Fraaß und Walter Arnold. During this time he created his first graphics and plastics and met Gerhard Richter who studied in Dresden at the same time. Letters from Richter to Heinze dating back to ca. 1960 were acquired by the Gerhard Richter Archiv of Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in 2008. Heinze was introduced to Dresden based artists by Rudolf Nehmer and created a bust of Nehmer in 1957. In 1973 Nehmers integrated Heinze's sculpture Flötenspiel und Gesang (Flute Playing and Song) in his painting Natur und Kunst (Nature and Art). From 1953 to 1955 Heinze interrupted his studies for a stone sculptor apprenticeship under Werner Hempel. During this time Heinze participated in restoring the Dresden Kreuzkirche and the Meissen Cathedral. In 1955 he continued his studies and fished them in 1957, working as a freelance artist since. In 1956 Heinze married the costume designer Erika Simmank with whom he had two sons (in 1959 and 1962). Heinze's first studio was at Villa Gustav Ziller, Augustusweg in Radebeul. In 1957 he created the animal sculpture Sitzender Hund (Sitting Dog) for the city of Hoyerswerda, one of Heinze's many contributions to public art.

Helmut Heinze (born 24 April 1932) is a German sculptor. From 1979 to 1997 Heinze was professor for plastic arts at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.