Under the motto URBAN PERSPECTIVES, 18 artists from all over Germany will present two of their works each in the GRACE DENKER GALLERY in the form of a group exhibition starting August 22, 2021. Four of the artists will present their works in a one-day exhibition on August 22, 2021.
The styles are diverse, with abstraction, expressionism, photography and collage art coming together to form a collective for the exhibition. The collection is vibrant, fascinating and captivating, inviting the viewer to discover something new and inspiring in each piece.
In the following article, get to know the exhibitors better and gain an insight into their artistic work and artistic concepts. The exhibitors answer questions about their artistic process, how they start and what materials they use. They also explain what influence their art can have on the world.
Anja Kowalik, Antje Petershagen, Barbara Vogel, Christine Weber-Nolte, Geo Vidal, Günter Krenz, Jack Mason, Leilani Euphrosyne, Lilly Helja Jonasson, Nina Roth, Pia Schwabe, Sabrina Freihoff, Torsten Zöllner, Carsten Wolff and Teodora Dumitrache comment in the interview.
Register for the vernissage at: https://www.artcraftliving.com
Anja Kowalik
My pictures are created by trying things out, experimenting and applying the colors to the canvas again and again. Little by little I add layers on top of each other, condense painterly traces and let myself be inspired by them. In the painting process I am free, can react immediately to what is emerging and keep discovering new things. A composition emerges from the spontaneous, intuitive approach.
The focus of my artistic work is on pictures for which I use acrylic paints on canvas. It is often the colors that give the picture mood and charisma. I like to delve into the world of mixed media and use different materials and techniques.
My artistic work is like a diary, it is a way to communicate my feelings and impressions.
Each picture tells its own story, is an individual.
Through my pictures, the viewer is presented with a free space where I have stopped time. In the rooms, the viewer can find time for themselves, for their thoughts, feelings, sensations and impressions.
I paint what I feel, what I see, what touches and moves me. My sources of inspiration are my own experiences and travels, dreams and feelings, which are reflected in my works.
Antje Petershagen
The medium of color is, alongside language, my means of expression, just as other artists choose dance or a musical instrument. I channel my emotions and thoughts, offering them a way of self-expression. The dialogue with the viewer, the resonance with the nature around me, the introspection, the complete withdrawal into myself and the emergence from this process with a message, hidden or open, and an image that appeals to my target group, that is my way.
I love sketchbooks that let me depict the process of a topic. Research, ideas, sketches, the fusion of these. A lot of things run parallel for me: the sketchbook, my very personal collection, my collection of all kinds of found objects, bird's nests, stones, shells, all the little things that reflect pure beauty in my eyes. I almost always work on just one picture, on one message. I love watercolor painting, the unpredictability of the process, letting go of expectations, the feeling of happiness when color palettes move something in me. However, printing techniques for experimenting with plant materials are a wonderful opportunity to use the components of my material and equipment box.
I don't visualize a picture in advance, I can't do that. I have an idea, a thought, a theme that moves me or carries me through life. Since I usually start painting at a certain time, by then I have something that I want to express through colors. Sometimes I sketch a little. But I rarely stick to it. I paint with and through my hand, the picture develops on its own. Only later do I work with my mind and decide whether I want to add a few more details, a new technique, another color or text.
I describe my art as "mindful". My message: through art I can bring body, mind and soul into harmony. Be inspired, discover who you really are.
Barbara Vogel
My abstract paintings and collages reflect the different moods, experiences, crises and happy moments of life. I start intuitively, sometimes with my eyes closed, and then see what can develop from there. A new canvas is always the beginning of a soul walk, the destination of which I do not yet know.
I am inspired by music, using the whole spectrum from hip hop to classical music, focusing on my emotions and the energy associated with them. The unconscious becomes visible and makes each of my pictures a unique, personal snapshot. Most of my pictures have no titles because I want to give the viewer space for their imagination, feelings and their own stories. This way of working is certainly also influenced by my art therapy training.
I work mainly with acrylic paints on canvas and high-quality paper, but oil pastels, inks, charcoal, markers, colored pencils, etc. are also often used in my paintings. Brushes, knives and spatulas are the basic tools, but spoons, bottles or brooms are also used. Here, too, I decide very intuitively what I will use next; sometimes there are flowing transitions, sometimes clear boundaries and different textures.
Enjoying the process with great joy, allowing mistakes and using them as a new source of inspiration, surprising myself and touching others - that is what defines my art.
Carsten Wolff
I work intuitively, and I like to be guided by different styles. In these two works it is Russian avant-garde. For example: Ljubov Popova, Boris Ender. They captivate with their language of form and color. The construction of the images is simple, but very emotionally appealing.
It was important to me to prove (to myself) whether I could implement this art form. Better, whether I could understand this art form. For the viewer it may seem like an easy job. Far from it. The crux / the difficulty of these works lies in the structure. In addition, this avant-garde art helps in understanding other styles. Expressing something through structure and clear lines, conveying it to the viewer,
means not taking any detours, by working out the forms very carefully. Both works are made in acrylic on canvas.
Christine Weber-Nolte
The idea of my art is first and foremost joy and playing with colors.
For 35 years, as a therapist and alternative practitioner, I have had to deal with the physical and psychological problems of my clients. The essence of my experience in this regard, as banal as it may sound, is that people need to experience joy in life above all else in order to be (more) healthy. Without joy, both the body and the mind become ill.
Now, painting is not the only way to experience joy.
Music, nature, spirituality, travel and Buddhism - all these are the inspirations I need for my creative process: first a certain image appears in my head, I start with it and then I let my intuition run free. Sometimes something completely different to what I originally wanted emerges. If I have the feeling that something is missing from my work, then I go into the forest... that always helps me. And I enjoy every creative step I take.
I mainly work with relatively large canvases and acrylic. I like to use gold leaf or metal foil and work with brushes, spatulas, fineliners and oil pastels and/or charcoal pencils.
Every now and then I also like to sketch in cities and villages, more buildings than people.
Drawing nudes is a particular love of mine - I often put nude drawings of mine into large
acrylic works.
The choice of my tools and materials is almost always spontaneous; sometimes they serve to create harmony in the picture, sometimes they are used to emphasize a section of the picture.
My intention has always been, even in my many years of work as a therapist, to help people feel better and experience joy.
My pictures are intended to give the viewer energy, stimulate their imagination, help them to look at life freshly and curiously…the message is:
Life is beautiful. It is diverse and colorful. It is our decision to see that and experience this wonderful world.
Geo Vidal
Colors and shapes are in my head before I begin. But many works then develop on their own. The first brushstroke, the first trace of color and often the picture begins to take on a life of its own. I let it happen. It is exciting to see what develops. A lot of things are then discarded, reworked or left as they are. When I work on paper, I work quickly and very freely. When I work on canvas, I often sit for a long time before I move on.
Sometimes I spend hours in front of a blank canvas thinking and pondering until the moment to begin arrives. From then on, I am fully immersed in the work, in the artistic process, completely immersed, deep within myself. That gives me a feeling of complete calm and concentration.
I paint mainly with oil paints, on paper and canvas, recently on raw canvas. I also use ink, oil pencils, acrylic, chalk and graphite or markers. The material is always ready, I can access everything. The selection is usually spontaneous, depending on the need or the work.
Oil paints are brighter, the paint stands on the surface, which is why I've moved away from acrylics a bit.
My work is intended to please, often to make you think, especially my paper works. I also like to make works that contain a wink, humor, fun. Art does not always have to be serious. In painting I process what I have seen, heard, and experienced. Painting is a
a good opportunity to reflect on the world, life and people.
I generally refrain from giving messages. I leave that to the viewer.
Günter Krenz
My idea of art is relatively simple. First and foremost, it should please and appeal to people. I try not to be boring. A picture should be such that you want to take a closer look at it. Otherwise it is worthless. Art should enrich people. Whether that happens through a message or simply through beauty is irrelevant.
For me, the creative process begins with a blank white canvas. I rarely have an idea in my head of what the finished picture will look like.
First I put a white structure on the canvas. Usually, something "that wants to be painted" appears. If nothing appears even when I turn the canvas, I have to apply a thin layer of paint. Then the things that I then paint always appear for me. The picture paints itself. I just have to guide the brush.
Everyone knows this. It's a bit like when you played as a child and saw what you could see in the clouds.
My materials are "old school". Simply canvas, brush and paint. I prefer oil paints, but I focus on quality. I rarely use acrylic paint. Except for priming. I also use acrylic for that, but in the end it is usually completely painted over with oil. Acrylic paste is used for the texture, sometimes also a paste made from marble powder.
Texture plays an important role in my painting! It helps me make the picture "visible". It's an important factor that I also use for decorative purposes.
I don't think the influence of my art on the world, the big world, is very great. But my art also has an influence and impression on the small world, the one that immediately surrounds a person. People like to look at my art and are happy. Making an impression, which is hopefully positive, is recognition for me as an artist.
If I want to convey a message with my art, then it is that one should not be satisfied with the visible world. There are always things that are not obvious. For example, if something unpleasant happens to you, you initially perceive it as negative. But later it can turn out that the mishap actually led to something good. You just couldn't see it yet. So I try to show in my pictures that there is a reality behind reality.
Jack Mason
People and nature inspire me. I often paint animals, but human portraits are my favorite subjects. I use acrylic paints and palette knives to create my artwork. I work with multiple layers of acrylic, which I apply to the canvas using different sized palette knives. This technique allows me to create texture and depth, which are important to me in my work.
The process begins with a pencil sketch on canvas. I sketch the facial outline, eyes, nose and mouth and then choose a color family. Most of the time I use bright and vibrant colors. I almost always start the painting process with the eyes. I find that once the eyes are done, more flows into the rest of the painting process, which always results in a better painting.
With my unique portraits I try to show the beauty of the human form, and also capture feelings, moods and emotions of the subject. My palette knife technique gives my work a semi-abstract look that allows me to blend the lines between traditional portraiture and abstract art.
Leilani Euphrosyne
My art inspires the soul. It is born from within me. My motivation is to "re-enchant the world". The intellectualism of our time has completely disenchanted our lives and de-souled art. I want to make a statement here... With my pictures I find access to my very own roots and to my bliss. I want to give the viewers of my pictures precisely this access. Surrendering to a mysterious guidance, opening up to inspiration is a deeply spiritual dimension. Bringing heaven to earth through painting is what I am passionate about. I always paint myself wildly blissful! Tell me, what is your plan to do with your one and precious life? My answer is very clear: to re-enchant the world with my works of art that inspire the soul.
“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times.” - Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I prefer to paint with acrylic on canvas and add Aura Soma essences to the paint to give the pictures a special energetic effect. This gives them a very special and unique crystalline aura. My mantra: go through life with love, light and the scent of flowers in your heart! Enjoy the lightness, dance a lot and wildly, because joy and ecstasy are the secrets of the universe! Be creative out of pure delight! Our only task on this planet is to find our liveliness, our passion, to discover what makes us jump for joy and dance on the table. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away”. - Pablo Picasso Serving art helps us see that we live in a vast world, rich in details and wonderful colors and scents, with an intoxicating abundance of beauty. My most important ritual: the daily prayer to the Muses, spoken with all my heart and in a loud voice.
When you look at my pictures, they should be as sparkling as a refreshing sip of champagne... but they should also touch you on a spiritual level by adding Aura Soma essences to the paint or to the finished picture! This increases the positive effect, brings joy to life, "powerful pictures for the soul"... With this, I courageously create a unique art form, combining bubbling joy of life with rooted, nourishing depth.
Lilly Helja Jonasson
I get my inspiration from my emotions, personal dream sequences, memories and my immediate surroundings. The visual rules of my work are emotion, photography as the original motif, breaking down the original shape in the form of a small, cut-up photograph, and re-creation (collage).
My pictures are abstract and my interpretation of abstract art is geometric abstraction in the use of geometric elements, such as asymmetrical triangles and rectangles, in the form of photo fragments. Another aspect of abstraction in my pictures is the fragmentation of the figure, its original form, in order to obtain a different content through redesign and to reflect my world of sensations. I dissolve the original form (original image) by cutting it up into small geometric pieces. This process of cutting is the third step in my working technique.
By dissolving the original order and meaning, I can create something new. With each cut, the original meaning is changed and neutralized, creating the basis for a new image. The new emotion is the processing of the original theme.
After I have broken down the photograph, the second step in my working technique, into small color sections, I create my color. The structures and colors that arise from dissolving their original shape are my color palettes, which I use to create a collage. This means that I assign all the structures, colors, patterns and coloring to one another and distribute them separately on cardboard. Each group forms a color tone, which I use as the base material for the collage. Depending on what kind of color area I want to create, I print one or more motifs multiple times and break them down. I either stick to one color palette, combine gradients, or mix them with other color groups. A motif printed multiple times, for example, results in either a monotonous color area of the same color, which I sometimes use geometric bodies. Or a color area within a color palette. Several motifs printed out result in a color palette that consists of many different color parts, which in turn create their own color tone.
I capture moments with my camera and project them onto a canvas or other surface. Art and emotions are closely linked. Both need each other. Emotions are an art form in themselves that needs to be expressed. My work begins with dealing with my emotions.
It is a constant confrontation with the environment, current events and my inner self.
My art technique, splittography, is characterized by working with photography and the geometric splitting of photography. The color is not used to color an object, but rather is given its own value. The collage is the combination of different materials to create a new aesthetic unity. The collage is the connection with emotion.
For me, collage making is the pleasure of perceiving reality, which calls for imagination, creativity and spontaneity. There are no criteria by which I choose my motifs. I always go on a journey with my camera and find my surfaces, structures and colors. The color is not used to color an object, but rather is given its own value. The collage is the combination of different materials to create a new aesthetic unity.
Collagetion is the connection with emotion.
For me, coming to terms with oneself is very important. And I hope that through my art I show how I focus on myself and deal with my problems and my life. When I am at peace with myself, I can also be there for other people and do not project my problems onto those around me. Because that is how too many people turn themselves into trolls.
The splittography layer is a creative technique that I find useful for questioning fixed or entrenched meanings and for leading to new, fresh meanings through experimental new combinations.
Nassim Aslani
I usually paint the pictures in a series. I think of a topic beforehand and then paint 5 to 10 pictures on it. This series consists of 6 pictures. I brought art and garbage together to show that art can be created from garbage. I used cigarette packets for the collage .
Nina Roth
My artistic idea is that colors represent their own form of communication. An outlet between the inside and the outside. I always approach the creative process with a high level of intuition and let it guide me.
Sometimes I have a basic mood or symbol in mind at the beginning, such as "connection", "blossoming" or "togetherness"; but it can also happen completely freely. My pictures develop over several creative periods in which they then evolve. The final layer of paint usually covers the entire work, from which the final work then develops during the drying process. This creates a liveliness that is then permanently reflected in the works.
I generally avoid using brushes. I use different spatulas in the squeegee technique. In terms of the creative process, this suits my intuitive approach: step by step and interwoven. Acrylic paint is best suited for this. The paint changes its consistency as it dries in a way that allows for a range of interweaving and blurring.
The overarching message of my art is positive development and blossoming in life, which I understand as the meaning of life. I remind people of this natural power, the motor of unconditional love in our lives and the orientation towards beauty. I pass this power on.
Sabrina Freihoff
I don't really have a concept, I just like making art. The process is fun for me, I get into a kind of flow state. I often don't care about the result, even though I find my pictures beautiful. For me it's mainly about the process of creating (at least at the moment). My motto is "love to create"
When I sit in front of a blank sheet of paper I can't help but start painting. At the moment I paint purely intuitively. When I start a picture I don't know what it will look like in the end. I simply start without having a plan; I always decide on each stitch and each color in the moment. Sometimes I'm surprised myself at the colors I choose. It's almost as if I'm not painting myself, but rather just using my hands and my skills. The art simply flows out of me. At the moment I'm working with paper, my daughter's paint box, watercolors, colored pencils, markers, brush pens and gel rollers. I like to mix different types in one work of art. I use the materials that I have available at the time.
I hope that my art has a positive influence on the world. I hope that people are touched, that a positive energy is somehow transferred to the viewer or reaches them. I would hope that it inspires the viewer to think about themselves, about why they are personally touched. I am very interested in personal development and spirituality. I name my works accordingly and/or incorporate text into my works, such as "Love What Is" or "Appreciate Everything". I think that if everyone finds themselves more, lives their own truth and is at peace with themselves, then there will automatically be more peace in the world. I hope that my works contribute a small part to this.
Teodora Dumitrache
As an artist, I have the opportunity to express myself through lines, shapes and colors. Through a mixture of discretion and unobtrusiveness, I try to suggest a state of freedom, grace and joy. A visual caress, colorful and hard to reject.
I try to capture the moment, the feeling of well-being, when an emotion, a special experience with a tendency towards tenderness, everything is immersed in a warm harmony.
I wish that everyone discovers beauty and stays connected to everything beautiful around them. The universe is beautiful and we need beauty every day.
Each work tells a story, reflects expressive maturity, emotions, unrest, questions, insecurities, experiences and special feelings.
Torsten Zöllner
In my photo series "Natural Transparent", my artistic approach is to bring together different perspectives on different levels. By overlaying the outlines and shades, the photos merge into one another and create a new motif with strong and bright colors. The resulting new motif represents renewal, creation and the beauty of nature.
Pia Schwabe
What is your artistic concept/idea of art? How do you start your creative process, how do you approach a blank canvas/paper, etc.?
For me, art has infinitely many facets. Art lies in the beauty of things, especially in nature. Art is an idea of what we see around us, what we experience and what we feel. Art is the interpretation of each individual who processes his or her impressions. Because art is so diverse for me, I approach each blank canvas differently. Most of the time I have an idea of what I want to paint, but usually the canvas, my experiences and my feelings lead me in a completely different direction.
What are the main materials you work with? What criteria do you use to select them? What role do the materials play in the finished artwork?
I paint on primed canvases and with various acrylic paints. From time to time I work with metallic paper or things that I happen to find. I choose my colors based on their intensity, the ideas I have in my head and how I feel. I work very intuitively and think that the mix of different materials and colors ultimately turns my works into art.
What impact do you think your art can have on the world? What message lies behind your creative work?
I believe that my art plays a role in the art world as a whole in that I capture and record the spirit of the times, the world as it is today and how I perceive it. With my art, I want to convey a feeling of joy, lightness, liveliness and fun. I hope that my works make a person's home a place of well-being.
Duration of the exhibition: 22.08.2021 to 29.09.2021
Location: GRACE DENKER GALLERY, Hammerbrookstraße 93, 20097 Hamburg.
Opening: August 22, 2021 at 1:30 p.m.
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