Interview
Christopher Kieling
Berlin-based artist Christopher Kieling graduated from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Graphic Design. In his meticulously-planned paintings, flat planes of colour characterised by muted pastel tones provide the backdrop for works which explore the balance between realism and simple form.
Influenced by the mathematically inspired works of Escher and Uglow, Kieling explores the pure language of painting – form, colour, composition – through layered imagery.
He begins by precisely sketching out his complex compositions and processing them digitally before starting to work on canvas. Using a mix of both acrylic and oil mediums, he combines hard geometric patterns and fluid, simple lines to create the illusion of depth, drawing the eye into, and across the surface, and into vistas and interior spaces.
Kieling’s work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions including at Sothebeez, Tribes Media, ‘Sierra’ at Grove Square Galleries (2020), Berlin (2019), Baladi, K49 Galerie, Cologne (2019), Matter, Uli Fischer Galerie, Berlin (2018) and Contrastat The Book Club, London (2012). In 2010 Kieling was the recipient of BarTur photography award and the degree show CAN Audience Award.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I don't remember how it started, but growing up, it was clear to family and friends that I would become an artist, long before I even knew it. My earliest illustrations were often inspired by cartoons or comics, especially the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which I would try to copy. But that alone taught me a great deal about composition and anatomy. Throughout my teenage years, I realized that art gave me a sense of purpose and joy. Graffiti was the vehicle to be creative and receive validation from friends and peers. My interest in graffiti grew into a passion for design, and during my studies at the Central Saint Martins College in London, my focus shifted towards printmaking and oil painting.
I am not sure what made me want to be an artist. It was, and is, always there as my safe space, my form of rebellion, and my access to understanding the world around me. It is whatever I want it to be. Producing art is all I have ever wanted to do. “
What inspires you most?
“Seeing other people being creative is very inspiring to me. This could be a documentary, visiting art fairs, movies of my favorite directors or watching Chuck Berry in concert 1972.
I love watching footage of artists in their studio. Most recently, Neo Rauch – Gefährten und Begleiter documentary is an amazing example. A particular one that influenced me earlier on was a 60-minute video of Drew Struzan working on the Hellboy movie poster. It circulated as a ripped version in college, and was a high commodity amongst the illustrators. He offered the viewer a look into most stages creating this iconic Drew Struzan artwork.
It taught me that a ‘good artist’ can explain their method, and still have an unreachable understanding of the medium and the process due to years of experience. Of course that is not true for all art, but it relates to the art I am trying to produce.
My ultimate goal is to grow as an artist: learn skills and gain knowledge for as many forms of mark making as possible. I like to think of it as a toolbox, with every new technique being a new tool that I then add to my toolbox. I am then able to pull out the right tool for the job at any given moment.
Certainly creativity can not be taught, but having studied graphic design, I believe there are certain exercises or practices you can repeat to build a repertoire of creative avenues. It is possible to build a strong foundation of understanding, which allows you to solve aesthetic problems more confidently, and grow as a whole. The best way is just doing it! I try to paint several hours every day to improve as a painter, just like a runner has to train daily to become a better athlete. But that requires a certain lifestyle. Living a balanced life, exercise, surrounding myself with people I love and using my time on earth wisely in order to become a true master at my craft. The thought of that is truly inspiring to me.”
“In order to feel inspired, you first need to be able to recognize and appreciate beautiful things. The feeling of ‘I wish I would have thought of that’ is your brain trying to make new and interesting connections. At the beginning, this feels hard and exhausting, like a muscle you haven’t trained. But over time, this muscle grows and you become more confident with your artistic choices, because you have the skills and the knowledge to back up your actions.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I tend to work in series which vary in duration. Most of the time, I follow a string of thought and try to find the best way for me to visualize it on the canvas. Either I abort the thought after a few tests, or it evolves into a full blown series of paintings.
Theatre has been a recurring theme in my work. Coming from a family of actors and having worked backstage at the Theater am Kurfürstendamm in Berlin throughout my twenties, theatre was a great source of inspiration. My work is often inspired by expressive gestures and theatrical compositions.
Another recurring theme is dogs. They sometimes find their way into my paintings without me really thinking about it. Ricky Gervais said it best: 'Dogs are my religion'. Growing up with dogs changed and developed my understanding for responsibility, empathy and mortality and made me a better version of myself. My family is currently counting 9 dogs shared up between my brothers and my parents. I couldn't image a life without them.”
How would you describe your work?
“Realistic elements are usually in juxtaposition with graphic form and layered paint. The composition is meticulously planned and arranged in a specific way, which allows me to tell a story or to portrait an emotion. Usually this evolves around one or more main protagonists. This can be a person, animal or object such as plants or chairs which are put in the spotlight.
Occasionally, design flows into my paintings in form of graphic borders or typography. When working with series, I allow myself to explore different ways of mark making to find the perfect way to render the image I am working on. The 'style' might change slightly from series to series, and my brushstrokes and compositions have a language of their own.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I am interested in all facets of art, making it very difficult to pin my influence to any one artist. Some realists I have studied are Euan Uglow, Mark Tennant, and Sebastian Schrader. In 2012, when I first started taking painting seriously, I was greatly inspired by Lou Ros and Andrew Salgado. However, film has always been a main source of inspiration since before I even started paying particular attention to painters. Wes Anderson, Fatih Akin, Jim Jarmusch, Roy Andersson have had a great influence on my work, in particular my compositions.”
What is your creative process like?
“A major focus of mine over the years has been oil painting. The vibrancy and intensity of the colors is not comparable with any other medium. However, it requires much patience. Drying time can take several days or even weeks, which sometimes stifles the creative flow. That is why I occasionally switch to acrylic paint if I want to create a quick underpainting, or if I want to place a color with the option of altering it immediately.
Recently I have started experimenting with water mixable oils to see if that widens my range of possibilities. I also like to add unconventional techniques such as spray paint. It is great for quick color changes or fading, and looks great in combination with oil paint. For rougher effects I like to use charcoal pens or oil pastels. ”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Being an artist in this productivity driven society is an act of rebellion in itself. A painter has no purpose in the 21st century. We don’t have to illustrate plants for generations of scientists to come, or capture a rich persons face for the history books. Technology is increasingly making it easier for us to document ourselves and the world around us. In this era, and in this part of the world, we paint to show that there is an alternative way to live. A passionate, yet sometimes irrational lifestyle that stands in direct contradiction with order.”
“I became an artist to avoid being part of society. I have trouble talking to people about their ‘real jobs’, and have little patience for small talk. That occasionally makes me feel out of place. But life is too short, and we have limited time left. Spending time not doing something creative is absolutely crazy to me.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Two exhibitions come to my mind immediately:
First was ‘Sierra’, my solo show and inaugural exhibition at the Grove Square Galleries in London. At the time I had no gallery representation, and COVID had just wiped out any exhibition plans for the near future. My girlfriend had just moved in and money was low. When art director Serena Dunn contacted me via Instagram and invited me to open the gallery, I couldn’t believe my luck. It was the beginning of an incredible partnership. Everyone at Grove Square is doing an outstanding job of promoting our work, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity. The show sold out and opened a new chapter in my artistic career. You can read about it here.
The second noteworthy exhibition was Back-Looking-Forward at Galerie Schönhof in Jade, North Germany. Art collector Paul Flottemesch opened his private collection to the public for the first time. He started buying art in the early 70s and built an incredible collection over the course of 50 years, including works by Georg Baselitz, Neo Rauch, Gerhard Richter, Norbert Bisky, Joseph Beuys, Stefan Szczesny, David Schnell, Jörg Immendorf, Rosa Loy and many more of the most celebrated and decorated artists in Germany, and the world.
Several years earlier, in 2015, Paul Flottemesch walked into an urban art market in Berlin and bought my artwork ‘Wandel’ (Change). It was a large format piece and the first time I got paid a slightly large amount for a painting. I coincidentally had a show coming up and invited him. He ended up buying another two paintings and we developed a friendship.
In 2021, Paul Flottemesch called and invited me to his exhibition opening, to visit my older works. I only realized the magnitude of it all when I arrived at Galerie Schönhof and saw my paintings surrounded by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century. What an incredible honor to share a space with some of my heroes, legends and teachers. You can read about this here.”
