Jens Braun, born in 1977 in Berlin, currently lives and works in Karlsruhe. He will be presenting his debut exhibition in Spain at L21 Home. The German artist, during his studies, focused on figurative painting, honing his technique through still life compositions and exploring the creation of pictorial enigmas. After a period abroad in Copenhagen, Braun began to critically reevaluate his artistic practice, leading to a transformation in the depiction of his paintings.

Having dedicated his career to figurative painting, Braun realized that true poetic expression emerged from intuition. Consequently, he adopted assertive brushstrokes and simple gestures, which created a rich pictorial space. Though these gestures evoke poetry, they remain firmly rooted in the medium – oil on canvas, oil on wood, and acrylic on canvas.

Employing a deliberately limited vocabulary of shapes and colors, Braun explores sensitive and poetic themes. When selecting the exhibition’s title, he sought a phrase that both formally related to his practice and resonated with his persona – a title reflecting the complexity of his thoughts, embracing both highs and lows, as well as the contradictions inherent in shapes and structure.

Thus, “Eifer und Lücke” was chosen – exact opposites: eagerness and hiatus. “Eagerness” signifies industriousness and desire, while “hiatus” represents a gap or absence. This dichotomy embodies a rebellious yet poetic tension, with the gap symbolizing an unsettled space, often filled by those who refuse to conform.

Zé Ortigão