Barry X Ball
Barry X Ball is a Brooklyn-based American sculptor who, since 1982, has used a hybrid 3D-scanning/CNC/hand-carving workflow to produce museum-grade figurative sculptures in exotic stones and precious metals, sold exclusively through blue-chip galleries to major museums and high-net-worth collectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Barry X Ball does
Barry X Ball is an American contemporary sculptor and sole-practitioner studio practice active since 1982 and based in a purpose-built Brooklyn fabrication complex in Greenpoint, New York. The studio operates with 11–50 staff supporting the artist's practice and produces one-of-a-kind figurative sculptures and art collections — including the Medardo Rosso Project, Masterpieces (reimagining works after Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini and Marco d'Agrate's Saint Bartholomew Flayed), Portrait Sculptures of notable figures in translucent onyx and marble, multi-stone Buddha, Scholars' Rocks, and earlier bodies of work in Corian, gold, and palladium.
The studio's production workflow is a hybrid digital-and-hand pipeline: subjects are 3D-scanned, virtually modeled, then produced through a combination of 3D printing, computer-controlled/robotic milling, and hyper-detailed hand carving and polishing in exotic and precious materials — various marbles, onyx, calcite, gold, and stainless steel. This fusion of computational fabrication and traditional craftsmanship yields museum-quality figurative works that reinterpret art-historical antecedents (Medardo Rosso, Michelangelo, Giotto, Byzantine relief) as materially novel originals.
Commercially, the practice sells exclusively through primary-market gallery representation (Sperone Westwater, Fergus McCaffrey, McCabe Fine Art) and participation in TEFAF Maastricht, Art Basel, and FIAC, with prices not publicly disclosed. Customers are major museums acquiring for permanent collections — Hammer Museum, SFMOMA, Norton Museum of Art, The Maramotti Collection, Le Fonds régional d'art contemporain Bretagne, Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall, MASI Lugano, Museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto — and a small set of high-net-worth private collectors (The Panza, Olbricht, and Berlingieri Collections). The 2026 solo exhibition 'The Shape of Time' at the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice (9 May – 22 November 2026) anchors the institutional programming, supported by earned media including a 60 Minutes CBS segment, Washington Post, Art News, and Brooklyn Rail coverage.
Barry X Ball firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Barry X Ball
- Legal name
- Barry X Ball
- Website
- https://barryxball.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Barry X Ball is a Brooklyn-based American sculptor who, since 1982, has used a hybrid 3D-scanning/CNC/hand-carving workflow to produce museum-grade figurative sculptures in exotic stones and precious metals, sold exclusively through blue-chip galleries to major museums and high-net-worth collectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Barry X Ball industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Sculpture
- NAICS
- Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing (327110)
- SIC
- Pottery & Related Products (3260)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where Barry X Ball is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Barry X Ball business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Barry X Ball product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Barry X Ball produces museum-quality figurative sculptures by combining 3D digital scanning, virtual modeling, 3D printing, and computer-controlled milling with traditional hand carving and polishing. Works are created in unconventional and precious materials including various marbles, onyx, calcite, gold, stainless steel, and Corian, and are sold as one-of-a-kind pieces for permanent museum collections and private collectors.
Product overview
Barry X Ball is a contemporary sculptor operating as an individual artist studio, not a commercial product company. The 'portfolio' consists of distinct art collections and bodies of work organized by theme and technique: the Medardo Rosso Project reinterprets 19th-century Italian sculpture in exotic stones; Masterpieces reimagines art-historical masterworks in precious materials; Portrait Sculptures renders notable contemporaries in translucent onyx and marble; Buddha combines multiple exotic stones in sacred figures; the Black/White Sculptures and Not Painting Collection represent early conceptual work; and the Tavolas, Largens, and Panels are gilded relief works referencing Byzantine and Renaissance traditions. The artist employs advanced fabrication technologies including 3D scanning, CNC milling, 3D printing, and robot-assisted carving to create works in materials ranging from marble and onyx to gold and Corian. The studio exhibits internationally at institutions including the Nasher Sculpture Center, Venice's Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore, and Ca' Pesaro.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medardo Rosso Project A series of sculptures based on the works of Italian impressionist sculptor Medardo Rosso (1858-1928), reinterpreting his wax and plaster originals in durable stones using contemporary digital fabrication techniques. Targeted at museums and major collectors.
- Masterpieces Large-scale sculptures reimagining masterworks from art history, including works after Michelangelo's Pietà Rondanini and Marco d'Agrate's Saint Bartholomew Flayed, executed in precious and exotic stones.
- Portrait Sculptures Portrait sculptures of notable figures rendered in translucent onyx, marble, and other exotic materials, including subjects such as Pope John Paul II, Hester Diamond, and Matthew Barney.
- Buddha Multi-stone Buddha sculptures combining Golden Honeycomb calcite, wounded Mexican onyx, French Rouge de Roi marble, and translucent pink Iranian onyx, after a 15th/16th century Japanese lacquered-and-gilt wood figure.
- Scholars' Rocks Sculptural works exploring the tradition of Chinese scholar's rocks, rendered in exotic stones.
- The Shape of Time (Solo Exhibition) A major solo exhibition presenting Barry X Ball's recent sculptural works at the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy.
Quantifiable outcome
- Works acquired by major museum collections globally
Companies that use Barry X Ball
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Barry X Ball technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Barry X Ball partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Barry X Ball competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tony Cragg: Internationally exhibited figurative/sculptural artist working with stone, bronze, and mixed materials at museum scale; relevant comparable for stone-based figurative sculpture in major institutional collections.
- Damien Hirst: High-end contemporary artist whose sculptural practice spans materials, fabrication scale, and institutional exhibition comparable to BXB's positioning within the global blue-chip art market.
- Anish Kapoor: Internationally established large-scale sculptor using exotic stone, polished metal, and pigment; a relevant comparable at the apex of the contemporary sculpture market for material-driven museum acquisitions.
- Paul McCarthy: Figurative contemporary sculptor using unconventional materials and fabrication techniques; relevant comparable for large-scale figurative production, gallery representation, and institutional exhibitions.
- Urs Fischer: Contemporary sculptor known for material experimentation (wax, clay, carved materials) at monumental scale, with comparable museum placement and gallery representation in the blue-chip contemporary market.
- Jeff Koons: Blue-chip contemporary artist with large-scale sculpture; a comparable for the economics, museum demand, and brand valuation of high-end contemporary sculptural production at the top of the market.
Direct peers
- Katharina Fritsch: Figurative contemporary sculptor working with polychrome sculpture at monumental scale, with overlapping gallery representation (Sperone Westwater) and museum placement profile.
- Matthew Barney: Large-scale contemporary sculptor working with exotic materials (petroleum jelly, cast bronze, geological forms) and complex fabrication pipelines; BXB's portrait of Barney in translucent onyx underscores direct artistic overlap at the high-end museum market.
- Tom Sachs: Studio-practice contemporary sculptor who uses unconventional materials, bricolage fabrication, and pop-cultural referencing in a similar vein to BXB's blending of pop, history, and craft. Operates a comparable Brooklyn/New York studio model with gallery representation and museum placements.
- Rachel Feinstein: Figurative contemporary sculptor who works in marble, wood, and mixed media at museum scale; closely comparable to BXB in subject matter (figurative/referential sculpture) and blue-chip gallery representation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Barry X Ball social profiles
Digital presenceBarry X Ball financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Barry X Ball leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Barry X Ball funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Barry X Ball M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Barry X Ball
What does Barry X Ball do?
Barry X Ball produces museum-quality figurative sculptures by combining 3D digital scanning, virtual modeling, 3D printing, and computer-controlled milling with traditional hand carving and polishing. Works are created in unconventional and precious materials including various marbles, onyx, calcite, gold, stainless steel, and Corian, and are sold as one-of-a-kind pieces for permanent museum collections and private collectors.
Is Barry X Ball a public or private company?
Barry X Ball is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Barry X Ball founded?
Barry X Ball was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Barry X Ball based?
Barry X Ball is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Barry X Ball's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tony Cragg, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Paul McCarthy, Urs Fischer and Jeff Koons. Direct peers are Katharina Fritsch, Matthew Barney, Tom Sachs and Rachel Feinstein.
Does Barry X Ball have an API?
No public API is recorded for Barry X Ball.
What industry is Barry X Ball in?
Barry X Ball's product category is Contemporary Sculpture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAD, Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media). Its NAICS code is 327110 and its SIC code is 3260.