Figurative art is concerned with the depiction of figures, bodies, and forms of human presence within painting. Unlike purely abstract works, recognizable forms and shapes appear here, though they are often altered or alienated by color, structure, and painterly processes.

In my figurative works, figurative elements merge with abstract pictorial spaces. Figures do not appear as classical depictions, but often as fragmented or suggested body forms. Color, structure, and movement in the painting remain just as important as the figure itself.

Such pictorial spaces emerge especially in series like Hunters or Out of the Light. Figures emerge from layers of color, partially disappear again into the background, or are overlaid by painterly traces. This creates a tension between figure and abstract pictorial structure.

Figurative painting thus opens up a special connection between representational imagery and free painting. The figure remains recognizable, while at the same time becoming part of an open and multi-layered pictorial space.

Figure and abstract pictorial space

In many of these works, the figure does not appear in isolation but is embedded in a dynamic painterly environment. Traces of color, overlaps, and structures merge with the depiction of the body and create pictorial spaces that hover between figuration and abstraction.

Figurative painting between expression and experiment

The works shown here move between expressive figurative painting and experimental pictorial spaces. Figures emerge from colour, movement and structure and remain closely connected to the painterly process.

The following works present a selection of figurative paintings from different series of my practice.