Small Portrait with Flower Painting

My life spent in different countries and cultures, has created a distinct ebb and flow, significantly influencing my art. I grew up in the Black Forest in the south of Germany, where my uncle, the sculptor Josef Rombach, had an early influence on my art. Floral motifs were my first subjects and have remained so to this day. As an adult, I lived in various African countries, where Liberia, Togo, Benin, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone became my second home for decades. People, culture, light, and colours had a strong visual and emotional impact and were an inexhaustible source of inspiration. During this time, I focused on portraits in large format, with strong colours in a gestural, impulsive style. I try to capture the "essence" of a person and look behind the obvious. After my return to Germany, I found new inspiration and subjects in the animals of my home region. These pictures are also "portraits" in which I try to capture the essence of the animals with their energy, strength and dignity. My paintings can be found in private collections on all continents. Most of my paintings will start with an intuitive process, randomly set patches of colour, working with the coincidence, the interaction of colour and shape. First colour fields and patterns emerge. Then little by little, layer upon layer I build up the image with parts of the background still visible. Negative spaces define the composition and are an intrinsic part of my art. The work on each piece is like an exciting voyage, where I know the starting point but may end up in unexpected places.