ABOUT gerhard petzl
Gerhard Petzl international chocolate artist & sculptor
Austrian-born and Swiss-based Gerhard Petzl is an international chocolate artist, a Master Chocolatier and sculptor known for hand-carved chocolate sculptures, large-scale chocolate installations, live edible art performances on stage and pioneering chocolate crystal art.
Master Chocolatier • WACS Global Master Chef • Culinary Olympics Winner
• Sculptor • Author • R&D Product Developer
Gerhard Petzl creates bespoke luxury chocolate sculptures and food art installations for luxury brands, hospitality, events, exhibitions, and private commissions worldwide from Switzerland.
Gerhard Petzl creates highly detailed hand-carved chocolate sculptures for international exhibitions, luxury events, culinary showcases and artistic installations. Each sculpture is crafted entirely by hand using chocolate as a sculptural medium, combining technical precision with artistic expression.
Known for large-scale luxury chocolate installations worldwide, Gerhard Petzl transforms chocolate into immersive artistic experiences for events, exhibitions, luxury brands and public showcases. His installations combine food art, sculpture and spatial design to create visually striking environments.
Gerhard Petzl is considered a pioneer of chocolate crystal art — a unique fine art technique created through the natural crystallization of cocoa butter on chocolate surfaces.
By allowing chocolate bloom to develop naturally, organic crystal structures emerge that resemble planets, geology and microscopic landscapes. No artificial painting or digital manipulation is involved — the visual structures are formed entirely through natural cocoa butter crystallization. over time
Gerhard Petzl is internationally recognized for pioneering live chocolate body painting performances using chocolate as an artistic medium on stage. Combining performance art, culinary creativity and visual storytelling, these unique live shows transform chocolate into an interactive artistic experience.
Gerhard Petzl has worked internationally on artistic chocolate projects, installations, exhibitions and culinary collaborations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, creating unique visual experiences for luxury brands, public events and private commissions.
Gerhard has received over 8 gold medals and 25 awards in international competitions on 4 continents.
- 1 x gold "Best chocolate showpiece", Culinary Olympics, Berlin (for Singapore) (2000)
- 3 x gold "Best truffle" at Luxury Chocolate Salons (Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas) (2011)
- 1 x gold “Best showpiece”, SYD, Australia (2011)
- 1 x gold “Champion Winner Novelty Exhibit”, SYD, Australia (2011)
- 1x gold "Best gingerbread house", Salt Lake City, USA (2011)
- 1 x gold "Best dark chocolate in Australia”, SYD, Australia (2012)
- "Master Award", Luxury Chocolate Salons (2011)
- One of the best 25 Chocolatiers in the US (2011)
- "Master Chocolatier of the year", NY, USA (2017)
- Team member Culinary National Team of Singapore
- WACS Global. Master Chef
As an author and creative innovator, Gerhard Petzl has published three chocolate art books and educational material covering chocolate artistry, chocolate sculptures and installations, science paired with chocolate art and experimental chocolate crystals with design. He appeared 12 times on TV on 3 continents and his art was shown over 250 times in magazines, Newspapers or books.
