Josef Maria Odermatt, born in 1934, is one of the most significant iron sculptors in Switzerland. For more than 40 years, he has been working and living with his family above Stans in the canton of Nidwalden. His first solo exhibition took place in 1971, followed by numerous exhibitions and acquisitions for public spaces. In 2004, Odermatt was awarded the Culture Prize of Central Switzerland. Influences on Odermatt's work include the creations of Eduardo Chillida, Bernhard Luginbühl, and the design language of Robert Müller. He considers forging to be the most primal form of ironworking: imposing one's will on iron through fire and muscle power is the oldest method of metalworking. Odermatt, who has mastered this craft, views forging as a fascination, a quest, a kind of addiction with withdrawal symptoms, as his wife Regula Odermatt puts it. His sculptures are archaic.