AN INTERVIEW WITH CONTEMPORARY ARTIST DAVID STEGMANN

David Stegmann is a Swiss-German contemporary artist living and working in the Fauststadt Staufen im Breisgau. His works can be found in private and public collections and are exhibited in galleries and at art fairs in Europe and beyond. Stegmann impressed the Munich Prestige judges with his recent success which is based on a surrealist form of abstract expressionism. Having been named Artist of the Year, we were keen to speak to David to find out more about his artistic inspirations.

Can you tell us about your background as an artist?

I was raised and taught by my father who was a talented sculptor and painter. Sadly, he died four years ago at a young age.  I can say that he has always been like a mentor to me. At the age of 13 I was entranced by the graffiti movement, but at the age of 19 I stopped painting characters. Through the years the characters became more and more surreal, and this surreal style developed more into an abstract way of expression.  I started to exhibit in galleries at the age of 24. When my style changed into a pure abstract form, more contemporary galleries invited me to exhibit with them. This was a point in my artistic career when I decided to exclusively focus on paintings on canvas or wood.

How would you describe your artwork?

I always try to create paintings that let the viewer fall deep into it and I want to let my paintings speak for themselves in their own language. This is why I mostly don’t use titles for my paintings.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From Mother Nature’s perfection and her love for details.

Can you talk us through the creative process of your artwork?

Before I start a painting, I have a detailed picture on my mind how the final painting should look. Then, I start painting until I am satisfied with the result. In the past, I used to spend days on sketches before I started to paint. But actually, for me it is better to start directly on the canvas to have that flow and energy directly combined with the work on the painting without spending too much time creating a master plan on paper. I think a painting needs that emotional spontaneous flow.

What has been your biggest career achievement so far?

That is hard to answer. There were many great exhibitions and moments in the past and I hope there will be more in the upcoming future as well. But honestly, I think it is the fact that I can make a living doing art, something which a lot of talented artists sadly cannot say.

What projects are you currently working on?

At the moment I’m working on a new series on canvas. I want to show these paintings at the upcoming exhibition in Galerie Hrobsky/Vienna, together with Armin Göhringer.  I really do hope that this show will take place, under the prevailing circumstances. The current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic makes it very doubtful to say if the show will really take place.

Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions we should put in our calendars?

I have several shows planned for this year and the next year, one is a show in the BV Galerie in Klagenfurt (Austria) but the final date has not been set yet. The current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic makes it really difficult to fix a date at the moment. All the galleries and museums had to be closed.

What is the most important piece of advice you would offer to aspiring artists?

Always be yourself in your own way of expression. Don’t try to paint like someone else. Find your own style and let your paintings speak for themselves.

For more information on upcoming exhibitions or to enquire about purchasing David’s art work, please visit: https://davidstegmann.de