Kong by Richard Orlinski

The gorilla Kong, later known as Wild Kong by Richard Orlinski, has in just 15 years become an icon of contemporary art and global pop culture.

Richard Orlinski, born in Paris in 1966, is now one of the most internationally renowned French contemporary artists. After an initial career in real estate, he fully devoted himself to sculpture in 2004, creating his first public artwork: a red crocodile made of resin. This piece marked the beginning of his emblematic series Born Wild, a bestiary in which he explores the relationship between humans and their animal nature. Through powerful creatures — lions, bears, wolves, crocodiles, and gorillas — Orlinski questions the boundary between wild instinct and civilized reason. His goal is clear: to sublimate primal violence into positive energy, make art accessible to all, and create a dialogue between raw nature and formal beauty.

Among his creations, the gorilla Kong is undoubtedly the most famous, now recognized worldwide. Inspired by the legendary King Kong, a symbol of both strength and vulnerability, Orlinski offers a contemporary, geometric, and faceted interpretation that conveys the animal’s power and sensitivity. Orlinski’s Kong first appeared in the early 2010s, but it was in 2016 that the artist created his definitive version, the Wild Kong. This gorilla, mouth open and fists raised, pounding its chest in a triumphant gesture, quickly became the totem of his artistic universe. The Wild Kong embodies Orlinski’s favorite duality: a colossal, menacing beast that nevertheless appears protective and expressive — almost human.

The famous Wild Kong by Richard Orlinski, in Paris

Over the years, Wild Kong has appeared in a multitude of versions. The artist has created small resin editions for collectors, as well as monumental sculptures in aluminum or chrome, reaching several meters in height. These impressive works, polished like mirrors, reflect their surroundings and interact with both light and the public. Each version, regardless of its size or color, expresses the same tension between strength and emotion, between animality and modernity. The smaller editions, often produced in several thousand copies, serve as an entry point for collectors, with prices starting around €500. The limited editions — 8 + 4 copies — are, of course, much more expensive: one should expect to pay over €10,000 for a 70 cm Kong. You can discover Richard Orlinski’s works available at Class Art Biarritz.

Richard Orlinski’s monumental installations have played a major role in his rise to fame. Starting in the 2010s, he exhibited his giant sculptures in the ski resorts of Courchevel and Val-d’Isère, as part of the Art at the Summit exhibition. Amid snow and Alpine landscapes, the red or chrome Wild Kongs stand in striking contrast to the whiteness of the peaks, creating a dialogue between wild nature and contemporary art. These open-air exhibitions marked a turning point: Orlinski’s art left the galleries to settle into living spaces, at the very heart of everyday life.

The red Wild Kong by Richard Orlinski, in Courchevel

In the following decade, the Wild Kongs also began to invade urban spaces. In 2019 and 2021, several monumental sculptures were installed on Avenue George V and in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, in front of luxury shops and grand hotels. The artist transformed the capital into a true open-air gallery, inviting passersby to encounter art around every corner. In 2025, a monumental Wild Kong was exhibited in Carcassonne, on the forecourt of the Prado of the Medieval City, as part of a public art trail. Other sculptures have also been presented in Nice, Saint-Raphaël, and even in Barcelona, where a red Wild Kong mounted on a building facade sparked a lively debate between art and advertising.

This trajectory illustrates Orlinski’s approach: democratizing contemporary art. By placing his works in streets, ski resorts, and tourist sites, he erases the barrier between art and the public. His sculptures are not meant to be viewed from a distance, but to be experienced, approached, photographed, and shared. Wild Kong thus becomes a universal symbol: of power, freedom, and the beauty of raw emotion.

Aesthetically, Richard Orlinski is part of the neo-pop movement, heir to the pop art of the 1960s. Like Jeff Koons or Takashi Murakami, he draws inspiration from popular culture, cinema, comics, and collective icons. His style combines angular lines, polished surfaces, and vivid colors, in a decidedly contemporary approach. Orlinski’s neo-pop is spectacular, immediate, and accessible: it celebrates modernity, technology, and light, while conveying an emotional message. For him, the gorilla is not merely a mythical monster, but a metaphor for the modern human: strong, instinctive, yet always in search of meaning.

Richard Orlinski posing in front of a giant Wild Kong in Carcassonne

Today, Wild Kong has become a true icon of French contemporary art. It embodies Richard Orlinski’s philosophy in a single figure: “Transform negative impulses into positive emotions.” Whether dominating the slopes of Courchevel or the avenues of Paris, in striking red, gleaming silver, or deep black, Orlinski’s gorilla captures attention and asserts its presence as both a pop and timeless figure. Straddling art, performance, and collective symbolism, Wild Kong has established itself as one of the major visual statements of the 21st century: a monumental, powerful, and profoundly human work.

Richard Orlinski has quickly become the best-selling French contemporary artist worldwide. As for the Kong, its international success, powerful symbolism, and monumental versions have made it an iconic piece in auction sales. The most expensive ever recorded was a monumental Wild Kong in polished mirror stainless steel, measuring approximately 3.5 meters high. This sculpture was sold for €780,000 at an auction in Brussels, setting a world record for a Kong sold at auction.

This result confirms collectors’ interest in Orlinski’s monumental works, which stand out for their spectacular presence and impeccable finish. Smaller editions, often in resin or aluminum, sell for significantly lower amounts, generally ranging from a few thousand to several tens of thousands of euros, depending on size and color.

Moreover, some charity sales have also reached remarkable sums. At one gala, a Wild Kong was purchased for €550,000, highlighting the symbolic and emotional value this work holds for art lovers and patrons. These record sales reflect Orlinski’s ability to combine contemporary art and popular culture, creating instantly recognizable sculptures that appeal to a wide audience while securing a strong presence on the international art market.

For more information on Richard Orlinski

To read on our blog:

• Richard Orlinski Exhibition in Vernon

• Richard Orlinski and the Trophies of the Alpe d’Huez