Inspired by minimalism and his stay in India as a volunteer with the American Peace Corps, Joel Shapiro's style took on a more radical form in the 1970s, moving towards bronze anthropomorphic sculptures that defy the laws of gravity. Two central themes define Shapiro's work: the scale of objects and gravity. In his more recent series, Joel Shapiro has created structures that explore the imbalance and disintegration of material. His latest works on show at Almine Rech Gallery Brussels alternate between movable and fixed compositions, wood arrangements and chromatic games, whether placed against a wall or suspended in the air.

Joel Shapiro was born in New York in 1941. His work has been shown in numerous international exhibitions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (1976); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1985); Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2001); and the Musée d'Orsay, Paris (2005). His work is included in several public collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Tate Gallery, London; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Shapiro currently lives and works in New York.