Wolfgang Lugmair

"the light, the windows, the sight"

Our first impression of his studio was shocking! Why has he turned all of his paintings reverse? Does he not want us to see what he is working on? „I am so overwhelmed with all my half-finished paintings” he explains, „that I have to turn them if I don´t want to go mad.”

Wolfgang Lugmair works under a certain pressure spending half of the year in Mexico, where he finds inspiration in the folk art while also discovering other codes he can interpret for his art.  He shows us incredible small format drawings and gouaches, which he completes while he is over there. All the colour and broken charm of Latin-America seems to be amplified through them.

On the contrary his paintings are quiet, melancholic, well composed and severe, yet humorous in some ways. He is an easel painter and has been working like this since 2005  after he studied in Karlsruhe with famous teachers like Horst Antes and Corinne Wasmuth.

Deep in his heart he is still Bavarian. The reverse painting showcase in his studio in Berlin - Neukoelln could also be an idea of Karl Valentin.

What is it about your studio space that inspires you?

The light, the windows, the sight

What sounds, scents and sights do you encounter while in your studio?

with music

What is your favourite material to work with? How has your use of it evolved throughout your practice?

Oil/Canvas

What themes do you pursue?

landscape, human figure, the space between them

If you weren´t an artist, what would you be doing?

Living on a farm and playing the banjo all day long

What are your favourite places besides your studio?

The Black Forest and Mexico City

GALLERIES