berlin - KUNST Magazin

imagining the countenance of the owner discovering this
hidden content. I like to combine a beautiful image with
a difficult content.
Do you consider yourself an abstractionist or a figurative
painter?
I try to do something unconventional maybe outrageous.
Actually my pieces are about conveying emotion and
form. They are sometimes beyond mimetic representation.
It is difficult to figure out what prevails when. In
fact I consider myself a figurative painter, but it may be
that abstraction surfaces up. Recently I was told by an art
collector that he liked my style considering me an abstractionist.
Somewhere in between I combine form with
colour, I try to balance, bring the two together, add more
dynamics. It is not purely mimesis but emotion drowned
in colour, forms on the verge of formlessness.
Why do you paint? What is art for you?
Painting is both for me the medium and the subject, it
is like breathing. I have been doing arts since the age of
twelve. It was theatre, performances, photography, but it
takes time to develop a unique style. It is quite a challenge
to come up from street art, graffiti as I did and to
plunge into the art world. It is always my goal to create a
unique style combined with a message and furthermore
to maintain the feeling that my best pictures are still
ahead of me. Anything else would not be challenging.
Sometimes you can find a hidden message in my works.
They are related to social issues. Addressing social inequalities
through artwork is perhaps one of the important
functions of art. You cannot change the world with
your paintings but at least you can make people aware.
Art is about distilling complex ideas into powerful and
accessible images intended for the viewers. Through my
work I attempt to be instrumental in awareness raising
about society’s drawbacks.
Does the fact that you come from East Berlin affect
what you do in art?
I would definitely say yes. I was born in former GDR,
East Berlin and the city has always influenced what I do.
Berlin is arguably the most dynamic place ever. All the
people that I have met here are more all less reflected in
my works. I mean the underprivileged, marginal people,
for whom this city is a refuge. They are supposed to be
integrated in society but they are not. I raised this problem
in “Culture Deportation”, in “Treibgut” and a set
of other works. A gallerist from West Berlin once said to
me that East Berliners are materialistic – I believe on the
contrary, they are idealistic, they are more about helping
each other and caring. There is a lot of talent out there
that needs to be discovered and promoted. Contemporary
world is all about money and competition, it slowly
comes over here as well, but now Berlin is the most relaxed
place in the whole world in terms of creativity and
artistic freedom. The streets of Berlin have always been
home to me. I come from graffiti movement; there are
lots of crazy stories to tell. The daily routine was quite
different. To some sprayers it is a form of subversive
protest against the establishment. But it is also a way of
attracting attention to yourself, like hall of fame. Back
then a lot of people preferred the night times, I usually
Christian Awe: Treibgut, 2006, Acryl, indian ink und Sprühlack auf Leinwand, 220 x 405 cm (3-teilig). Courtesy: VONDERBANK Artgalleries
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