Ralf Schmidt

Ever since studying under Heinz Edelmann, my artistic practice has been shaped by the idea that ideas born of life and situations experienced in life should form an image. Life situations serve as the foundation for vibrant painting with graphic stylistic elements. I am fascinated by creating multi-layered backgrounds as an emotional foundation, combined with a visual concept that serves as a “vehicle for thought” with which the viewer can identify. In my paintings, I explore the tension between abstract textures and drawing-like motifs. My work is not merely visual but a conceptual reflection on modern life, realized with technical precision and painterly freedom. In doing so, I make the inner visible through the outer: through meticulously drawn external motifs or figures drawn from everyday life, an inner aspect is revealed in this unique pictorial composition. Just as in some paintings external landscapes are inner landscapes, so too do my externally detailed depictions of people and objects represent inner realities.