At the beginning of May, I showed my latest paintings as part of the open studios at artspring berlin 2025.
I spoke to one visitor, an elderly gentleman, about the fact that my motifs are feelings – feelings that I can simply express better in abstract than in figurative form. He asked me for an example.
Our gaze was currently focused on “Light takes over”.
I began to describe the feeling behind the picture:
“The basic mood is that life has thrown you a hard chunk to digest. Sometimes dark clouds gather inside, sometimes there are glimmers of hope. One thing is clear: there is a lot to work on and transform. And then, after some work, the moment comes when the light – the clarity – breaks through and healing takes place after the tribulation of transformation.”
He looked at the picture and said: “That’s really complex. I was thinking of something as simple as joy.”
The conversation continued to unfold. In the aftermath, also through impulses from other visitors, it became clear to me:
Expressing emotional spaces and multi-layered emotional experiences, discussing them and reflecting on them together – this happens at best in private.
In public, on the other hand, we have become accustomed to reducing feelings to bold emoji decals.
At least it’s better than not expressing them at all – as has been socially imposed on men for generations.
I am in favor of not only expressing feelings, but also paying attention to them – and finding a form that does justice to their complexity and subtle ramifications.
This endeavor requires leisure, keen observation and a good capacity for expression.
All qualities that make life extremely valuable.
Can we afford this luxury?