Contemporary art Düsseldorf school of painting
Ciro Beltrán is a Chilean artist living and working in Berlin and Santiago.
He is a multifaceted artist, recognizable in Latin America, who seeks to reclaim public spaces, constantly pushing the boundaries of art.
Beltran graduated from the University of Chile as a visual artist and then studied at the graduate school of the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, Germany. He works in the style of abstract expressionism, creates paintings and installations, and participates in numerous exhibitions.
Thomas Bernstein is a German visual artist and art teacher. From 1978 to 1985 he studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. In addition to figurative works on paper, the sculptor, draftsman and performer also creates anthropomorphic sculptures from various materials, primarily silicone. The dominant theme in his performances is movement, the everyday and the absurd. While his pictorial works relate to questions of human communication, he shows abstract body-related forms in his sculptures. These can be found in his figurative drawings in a more naturalistic way.
Alexander Besel is a German painter who was born in Kyrgyzstan (USSR).
He studied at the Dusseldorf Academy of Arts and is committed to figurative painting in his work. Alexander Bezel's art confronts the viewer directly and confrontationally, but at the same time playfully and ironically. Through various forms, he approaches his central theme: man, his existence. In addition to depictions of existentialist situations and questions of identity, those that reflect people in their everyday lives are particularly predominant.
Peppi Bottrop is a German graphic artist who lives and works in Sicily.
He graduated from the Dusseldorf Academy of Arts and has participated in many exhibitions.
Bottrop is a color-blind painter who uses graphite on canvas which he paints directly on the wall. His monochrome paintings depict rectangles, circles and triangles - they are expressive, their skeleton-like abstract outlines reminiscent of a kind of music.
Michael Buthe was a German artist who lived and worked between Germany and Morocco. He exhibited widely throughout Europe during his life and is known for his eclectic and prolific oeuvre which encompasses painting, sculpture, and installation.
Elger Esser is a German landscape photographer, living in Düsseldorf. "He is primarily associated with large-format images of European lowlands with his characteristic low horizon lines, pale luminous colours and vast skies".
Esser's work is held in many public collections such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art in New York. He has won the Rheinischer Kunstpreis and the Oskar Schlemmer Prize.
Konrad Fischer (pseudonym: Konrad Lueg) was a German painter and gallery owner.
Lueg created so-called "Pattern Paintings" in deliberately chosen proximity to wallpapers. He cooperated closely with Sigmar Polke and Gerhard Richter. Ironising Socialist Realism, which was largely prescribed as the official art movement in the socialist countries of the Eastern Bloc, they created Capitalist Realism, with which they critically examined the consumerist orientation of the West, as in the demonstration Leben mit Pop (Life with Pop), realised together with Richter on 11 October 1963 — a demonstration for Capitalist Realism in the Düsseldorf furniture store Berges, with whose owner he was personally acquainted. Through this action they initiated German Pop Art.
Katharina Fritsch is a German sculptor who lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany.
She studied at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art and became known for her iconic and unusual sculptures and installations.
Fritsch's work often evokes disturbing religious or quasi-spiritual associations and is deeply psychological, as if she were trying to give an image to our deepest fears, extracted from the world of myth, religion, cultural history and everyday life. One of her most impressive works, Rat King (1993), is a circle of sixteen giant rats, each nearly ten feet tall, with their tails tied in a massive knot in the center.
Georg Grulich was a German painter.
In Düsseldorf, he documented the reconstruction after the Second World War and the advent of modernism, created monumental cityscapes of the new state capital and is still considered "the" Düsseldorf city painter of the post-war and reconstruction years. His works were shown in exhibitions in Venlo, Maastricht, Oostende, Geneva, Montecatini, Krakow and Moscow. He also participated in the design of the Düsseldorf carnival. In addition, Grulich was a member of the artists' association Malkasten, the Rhenish Secession (1947-1957) and district chairman of the West German Artists' Association (1957-1971).
Dieter Haack is a German abstractionist painter.
Dieter Haack studied painting at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. His works are characterised by bold colours and energetic compositions.
In addition to his art practice, Haack also worked as a professor of painting and drawing at his alma mater.
Erwin Heerich was a German artist.
Heerich emphasized that for him, "cardboard, like polystyrene, had no specifically aesthetic or historical connotations, the materials are value-neutral to the largest possible extent." Furthermore, the artist was not primarily "concerned with the manifestation of an art object, but with making an idea material in terms of a specific problem: how space can be presented and formed."
Anneliese Henecka is a German artist, draftsman and sculptor.
She studied architecture and free sculpture at the Dusseldorf Academy of Art, and has worked in the United States, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia.
Anneliese Henecka has created many sculptural works, including fountains, large-scale bas-reliefs in bronze and concrete, marble, bronze and wooden sculptures and portraits, and ivory relief sculptures.
Candida Höfer is a German photographer. She is a former student of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Like other Becher students, Höfer's work is known for technical perfection and a strictly conceptual approach. From 1997 to 2000, she taught as professor at the Hochschule für Gestaltung, Karlsruhe. Höfer is the recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Contribution to Photography award, as part of the Sony World Photography awards. She is based in Cologne.
Andrea C. Hoffer is a German artist who lives and works in Düsseldorf and Tobago, West India.
She studied costume and scenography at the Dusseldorf Academy of Art and painting with Professor A. R. Penck. Hoffner's work focuses on the surrounding Indian landscape in a psychedelic representation and kaleidoscope of colors. She uses egg tempura.
Tina (Bettina) Juretzek is a contemporary German artist dedicated to abstract art.
Tina Juretzek studied art at the Staatliche Kunstakademie in Dusseldorf.
Her works are characterised by abstraction in depicting figures and landscapes. The object, however, always remains tangible. In the 1980s, Jurecek created her first large figurative paintings, focusing on the relationship between the human figure and space.
Stephan Kaluza is a multifaceted artist known for his work as a photographer, painter, and author. Living and working in Düsseldorf, Kaluza has developed a unique artistic voice that explores the intersections of natural philosophy, history, and the essence of human perception through both his visual art and literary works. His education in Düsseldorf during the 1990s, encompassing studies in photography, art history, and philosophy, has deeply influenced his creative output, allowing him to craft works that resonate on multiple levels with viewers and readers alike.
Stephan Kaluza's art often delves into themes of nature and creation, with his paintings ranging from hyperrealistic depictions to nearly abstract portrayals of forests and water surfaces. Notably, his work introduces disturbances into seemingly idyllic landscapes, revealing the layers of history and human impact hidden beneath the surface beauty of nature. This duality invites viewers to question the reality of what they see and to consider the deeper narratives that landscapes can hold, especially when those landscapes have served as backdrops to historical events or personal stories.
One of his most ambitious projects, the "Das Rheinprojekt," saw Stephan Kaluza undertaking an almost eight-month journey along the Rhine River. Documenting the river's right bank in over 21,000 photographs, he created a panoramic view that challenges traditional perspectives of landscape photography. This work, along with his "Das Mauerprojekt" and other photographic series, underscores Kaluza's commitment to capturing and conveying the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world.
Stephan Kaluza's contributions to the fields of art and literature have been recognized with awards such as the George-Konell-Preis of Wiesbaden and the Price of the Carl- und Ruth Lauterbach-Stiftung Dusseldorf. His works are held in both public and private collections worldwide, including the Portland Art Museum in Oregon, USA, and the Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf, Germany, highlighting his international appeal and the broad relevance of his themes.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Stephan Kaluza offers a profound engagement with the world through the lens of an artist deeply informed by a rich educational background and a keen sensitivity to the natural and cultural landscapes that shape our experiences. His work invites contemplation and dialogue, making his pieces valuable additions to any collection.
Stay updated on Stephan Kaluza's latest works, exhibitions, and publications by subscribing to newsletters from galleries and museums that feature his work. This subscription ensures access to new sales, auction events, and showcases related to Kaluza's evolving portfolio, offering insights into contemporary art and literature influenced by his unique perspective.
Herma Körding is a German painter and drawer.
She studied painting at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, then in Paris at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Joulian, and also attended the Düsseldorf Academy of Art. Herma Körding fought for the right of women artists to have their own exhibition spaces and for many years was the only female member of the "Malkasten" association of artists. Herma Körding painted still lifes, landscapes and portraits.
Dieter Krieg was a German artist and professor of painting, one of the brightest representatives of the so-called New Figuration.
Krieg studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe, where he later taught. Starting in the 1970s, he painted everyday objects: flower pots and scrambled eggs, French fries and diamonds - in his large format paintings Dieter Krieg never made a distinction between the significant things in life and the everyday.
For 25 years, from 1978-2002, Dieter Krieg worked as a professor at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts and had a significant influence on subsequent generations of artists. He was a member of the Association of German Artists.
Stefan Kürten is a German artist and musician who lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Kürten's paintings depict the environment we create in our persistent attempts to make life perfect. Chic mid-century homes, picturesque bungalows, meticulously manicured landscapes and resort architecture testify to the dazzling promise of economic prosperity in the West after World War II. They are bright, clean, thoughtfully designed, safe and happy places. But there is no room for man, and gradually nature takes over.
Karoly Lengyel is a Hungarian artist who worked in Düsseldorf, Germany.
He graduated from the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, then studied postgraduate studies at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. Lengyel painted semi-abstract paintings filled with understatement and otherworldliness.
Katharina Lichtenscheidt is a German artist.
She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf and currently teaches painting at various art academies.
Lichtenscheidt's paintings are colorful, layered and contrasting, resulting in an impressive, lively composition. The artist works in series and starts several paintings at the same time.
Julia Lohmann is a German artist and sculptor who lives and works in Düsseldorf and Berlin.
Her work focuses on paintings, objects, installations and works on paper and aluminum, but she also creates photographs and films. Her three-dimensional multi-layered paintings on sheets of aluminum are abstractions of nature with parallel references to the world, society, and the conditions that these living spaces overlap.
Wolfgang Mally is a German installation artist who lives and works in Spain.
He explores the interaction between nature and art, man and nature to understand the state and relationship people have with it nowadays. Wolfgang Mally works in various techniques, including, for example, energy installations with burning logs or paper in the ground.
Hermann Josef Mispelbaum is a German painter, graphic artist and sculptor.
He studied applied art, painting and drawing at the Werkkunstschule Aachen under Ernst Wille. He then studied free art at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1971 to 1976 and became a master student and assistant to Rupprecht Geiger. During this time, he received a scholarship from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation) from 1974 to 1975 and travel scholarships for England and Italy from the C. Rudolf Poensgen Foundation, Düsseldorf, from 1975 to 1976.
In 1977 and 1978 he received a teaching assignment for painting and drawing at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. From 1978 to 2007 he finally worked as a freelance artist in Düsseldorf. In 1990 he was awarded the Villa Romana Prize, Florence, which enabled him to spend ten months in Florence.
Since 1974 Mispelbaum has worked as a freelance artist in the field of drawing, achieving a path of his own. He has worked with great intensity, preferably with graphite pencils of various hardnesses in large and small formats on paper. Mispelbaum creates collages with scissors and knife, cuts figures and parts of figures out of drawings. He inserts these into other drawings, works on them further and mixes them with colour, which is often grey or black.
Around the turn of the century he began to create sculptures from cardboard and plaster with objects partly worked into the plaster.
Hermann Josef Mispelbaum was a member of the Deutscher Künstlerbund as well as the Westdeutscher Künstlerbund.
Mispelbaum has shown his works in numerous solo and group exhibitions at home and abroad. His works can be found in many public collections.
Michael Müller is a German painter-painter and sculptor.
He studied sculpture and fine art at the Art Academy in Düsseldorf and lives and works in Berlin.
Michael Müller is constantly expanding his methods of artistic expression, combining works on paper with painting, text work, sculpture, found objects, music and performance.
Driss Ouadahi is an architect and artist originally from Morocco who lives and works in Germany.
He studied at the Hochschule für Beaux-Arts in Algiers and at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art. The abstract architectural forms in Ouadahi's work are surprisingly a response to the buildings of real Algerian houses.
Peter Philippen (German: Peter Josef Maria Philippen) was a German painter and jeweler.
He studied at the School of Applied Arts in Pforzheim as a jeweler and then at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art. At first he worked as a jeweler, but since 1965 he increasingly turned to painting and experimented with paints of his own making, often with admixtures such as sand.
Gernot Rasenberger was a German painter, grandson of the famous 19th century painter Alfred Rasenberger (1885 - 1949).
Gernot graduated with honors from the Academy of Fine Arts Düsseldorf. He paints in the style of the traditional "Düsseldorf school", one of the founders of which was his grandfather. He is called a painter of cityscapes, although he also has river landscapes and others.
Ulrich Rückriem is a German sculptor known for his large-scale stone sculptures that are often displayed in public spaces. He studied at the Werkkunstschule Krefeld and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.
Rückriem's early work was influenced by the Minimalist movement, and he became known for creating abstract, geometric sculptures from raw stone blocks. He often works with granite, basalt, and other types of hard stone, using traditional carving techniques to shape and refine his forms.
In the 1970s, Rückriem began creating large-scale public installations, including his "Stone Alignments" series, which consists of rows of standing stones that evoke ancient megaliths and other prehistoric monuments. His work often engages with the natural environment, creating a dialogue between the man-made and the organic.
Rückriem has exhibited his work in museums and galleries around the world, including the Tate Gallery in London, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Kunstmuseum Bonn in Germany. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field of sculpture, including the International Sculpture Prize in 1987 and the Praemium Imperiale in 2010.
Jae-Seong Ryu is a South Korean artist who lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany.
He studied painting at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and has participated in exhibitions in Germany.
Jae-Seong Ryu's work is reality on one side and illusion on the other. Flat but at the same time spatial, ideal and material at the same time, abstract on the one hand and concrete on the other, spontaneous and at the same time planned. This art stimulates our imagination, makes us doubt exactly what we are seeing.
Jana Schröder is a German abstraction artist.
She studied at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art and lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Jana Schröder creates paintings that are largely driven by the movement of the paint itself. The result is multilayered labyrinths of webbing, in which elements of automatic writing and winding brushstrokes intertwine to guide the viewer's wandering gaze.
Hannes Schultze-Froitzheim, birth name Hans Werner Schultze, was a German painter and graphic artist.
Hannes Schultze-Froitzheim learned to draw from Max Bernuth, Heinrich Phieler and Hans Seiß in evening and Sunday classes at the Elberfeld Craftsmen's and Arts and Crafts School from 1920 onwards, in parallel with a commercial apprenticeship. In 1926 he transferred to the Düsseldorf Art Academy.
Schultze-Froitzheim sought the interplay of form and colour in his works. He examined the reciprocal relationship of forms to each other and often reduced them to the purely geometric body. He was also preoccupied with the interaction between light and dark forms as well as round and pointed shapes.
His stays by the sea in Scandinavia and Italy further inspired him to study and experiment with different forms. His late work is dominated by his so-called "compositions". In his mixed media he turns away completely from the figurative and uses different materials to depict the interplay between form and colour on the surface.
Yvonne E. Schweidtmann is a German artist who lives and works in Düsseldorf.
In 1995, she graduated from the Dusseldorf Academy of Art, participates in numerous exhibitions. Schweidtmann prefers to use emulsion paint, often applying it in several layers, so her paintings are very complex structures. Yvonne E. Schweidtmann is a versatile creator: She designed costumes for a dance performance as part of a concert at the Museum Island Gombroich.
Helmut Stallaerts is a Belgian artist and sculptor living and working in Lennic, Belgium.
He was educated at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts, at the Institut Imelda in Brussels, and at the Académie Saint-Luc in Brussels.
Man is a central motif in Stallerts' complex and expansive oeuvre, but this man is alienated, blurred and absent. Helmut Stallaerts also works with installations, photographs and films.
Cornelius Völker is a German painter who lives and works in Düsseldorf and New York.
He studied at the Dusseldorf Academy of Arts and is a professor of painting at the Münster Academy of Art.
Völker's work is characterized by colorful, figurative representations of everyday situations and even insignificant everyday objects in part abstract, part figurative interpretations. The artist has a special method of working with paint and creates photorealistic paintings.
Josef P. Werner is a German painter and sculptor.
He studied at the Art School of Kassel, then at the Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts, China and at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. His ironic, subtle works were winners at exhibitions of young artists.
Gerhard Wind is a German painter and graphic artist.
Wind studied at the state art school in Hamburg, then at the Academy in Düsseldorf.
He painted in different genres: portraits, animals, landscapes, still lifes and figurative images.
Su Xiaobai is a Chinese artist who lives and works in Düsseldorf and Shanghai.
Xiaobai studied oil painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, moved to Germany in 1987 to continue his studies at the Düsseldorf State Academy of Art, and returned to China in 2003. He currently lives and works between Shanghai and Düsseldorf.
Before moving to Germany, Su's work was closer to social realism. However, his direct experience of avant-garde Western art radically influenced his worldview. During the 1990s, his works became less and less figurative, and after his return to China in 2003, they increasingly focused on the basic characteristics of color, form, and surface. By eliminating recognizable subjects and images, Su's art blends with both the language of Western abstract art and the traditions of Chinese philosophy.
By mixing his signature varnish with oil, clay and pigment and painting on linen, brick and wood instead of canvas, Xiaobai achieves intricate patterns, cracks and fissures in the surface of his works. His prints echo his painting, often reproducing the densely layered planes of his lacquer works on delicate paper and ink.
