Category: Art and Culture
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A Conversation with a Skull
In this post, I share one of my favorite Daoist stories: Zhuangzi’s “The Death’s-Head.” It offers a clear, direct perspective on life, death, and the burdens we carry. To accompany the text, I included several of my own skull paintings that reflect my thoughts on form, emptiness, and the natural balance of yin and yang.
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Lang Lang in Vienna and Other Music Anecdotes
What happens when you go skinny-dipping in a Carinthian stream with jazz legend Don Cherry, or watch Friedrich Gulda attack an amplified clavichord with a knife and fork? This personal reflection looks back on a golden era of musical rebellion in 1970s Austria and offers some insights into the world of classical music, the avant-garde,…
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South of the clouds
”South of the Clouds” is more than just a name; it describes a shift in perspective. Moving through Lushi, Lincang, and Nakeli, we follow the Ancient Tea Horse Road deeper into a landscape shaped by altitude and history.
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Lushi, Lincang, Nakeli
Moving through Lushi, Lincang, and Nakeli, we continue our journey along the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Time and again, we discover remarkable landscapes that remain deeply connected to their history.
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Every Day an Adventure, Every Day a Joy
Yunnan Spring Greetings (IV) “Every day an adventure, every day a joy.” It might sound a bit cliché, but here, one experience really does chase the next. We actually cancelled our planned trip to Mangshi (芒市) because Heshun and its surroundings simply have too much to offer. A couple we are friends with drove all the…
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Pure Dao – Shi Dong Si 石洞寺
I recently visited Shi Dong Si (石洞寺Stone Cave Temple), a place that feels almost suspended in time. It’s not just the architecture—the curved eaves and the weathered stone bridge—but the atmosphere.
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Density, Depth, Tradition, and Authenticity.
Yunnan Spring greetings (III) Density, Depth, Tradition, and Authenticity: Ever since my very first experiences in China back in 1978, these four concepts have been inextricably linked with my understanding of the country and its culture. So let’s first turn our gaze to a place that embodies all these qualities in a truly venerable way:…
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The Abundance of Modesty
Delving into Daoist philosophy and the pictographic wisdom of Chinese calligraphy, this article unpacks the ancient proverb that “Modesty Brings Abundance” (謙受益). Grounding this profound concept in personal experiences, the author reflects on how the humility of an “empty vessel” allows one to receive a true overflow of friendship, knowledge, and spiritual wealth.
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One planet, many perspectives
A deep dive into the La Gacilly-Baden Photo Festival under the theme ‘One Planet, Many Perspectives.’ This review journeys from the rituals of Papua New Guinea to the paradoxes of modern development, exploring powerful photography that confronts our world’s greatest challenges and finds a path to understanding, mindfulness, and ultimately, hope.
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On Giving, Taking, and What Truly Matters
From a Cambodian tuk-tuk driver to quantum physics, explore the profound layers behind the Dalai Lama’s simple advice: “Be kind.” A journey into the power of giving and true connection.
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Would You buy a used Car from this Man?
“Would you buy a used car from this man?” This isn’t just a provocative question; it’s the title of what is likely my first, and probably last, article focusing on political topics. Breaking my own blog’s golden rule, I dive deep into the unsettling power of images and words, and how they actively sculpt new…
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The Gift of the Green Snake
The Gift of the Green Snake is an article about an unexpected gift and the resulting images.
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Wabi Sabi and the Aesthetics of Imperfection
Wabi Sabi, a term relatively unknown in the West until recently, holds a special place in my heart. This article reflects my personal approach to Wabi Sabi, illustrated with my own works painted this year.
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Andy Warhol, a Corpse, Opium, and a Botched Tribunal
“Andy Warhol, A Corpse in the Water, opium and a Botched Tribunal” – sounds like clickbait. And yet, as always, it’s all true.
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The Silk Road: Personal Reflections
The Silk Road: From a young age, I was fascinated by distant countries, with Asia and the Orient capturing my imagination the most.
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Delving into the Realm of Seals on Artwork
Article about the fascinating world of Chinese seals. From a carver and collector. And above all, an enthusiast.
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Birthday present from Confucius and
one of the best love poems. Birthday present from Confucius: So I’m 70 years old now. So what?! Really – so what? How should I react? Emotional? Annoy me that I’m an old fart now? But I was an old fart last year too – and the year before. Don’t even think about it? This…
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About being happy – reflections and thoughts.
About being happy through the centuries. About being happy was not planned as a topic. But I promised a co-blogger, M, whose work I particularly admire, that I would write a few thoughts on the topic of being happy. Which of course can be seen as arrogance and I would therefore like to apologize for…
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Gaining by letting go
Gaining by letting go is again a formulation that could come from the field of esotericism. I have previously indicated that this is not an area in which I am proficient.
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a poem about one of my paintings
A poem about one of my paintings by Dominik Alexander – and an extra poem by him.
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Daoist Talks (VIII) Ego versus Self
Daoism distinguishes between the ego and the self. The ego refers to the individual’s sense of self, which is often shaped by societal norms, cultural values, and personal experiences.
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I promised you the sky
In my penultimate post of photos with stones and sand from my last trip to Egypt, I promised to also show the sky. And so the chapter on Egypt comes to a close. As reported, I had the chance to take master classes with the greatest artist of all time: Mother Nature.
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Dao in Chinese Poetry. Daoist Talks (VII).
Dao in Chinese Poetry: Two masterpieces of classical Chinese poetry with a Taoist structure. Li Bai and Du Fu.
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Criticism: Not amused with the Emperor
A few criticism examples by Chinese artists over time. Most of my blog posts deal directly or indirectly with art in the broadest sense. This is insofar as I attach great importance to dealing with Asian philosophies and art history in the broadest sense. I don’t touch on political issues, although this post might suggest…
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Project in the home straight – almost
I mentioned some time ago that after the Theodor Storm book, I was invited to illustrate another book by Prof. Wolfgang Kubin.
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When stars were born – in my club
Posting about the time when stars like Falco frequented my studio.
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the blind musician #WordlessWednesday
The blind musician. Foto for #WordlessWdenesday. Tianjin, China, 1979.
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two book covers and one dragon
Introducing two cover designs and a new dargon painting.
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curry restaurant kitchen #WordlessWednesday
The kitchen of an amon and curry restaurant in nowhere land, North of Dambulla. Even if the picture doesn’t look inviting, the curries are the finest.
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new projects ahead
Cover for a book: I was asked to create illustrations for a book of poetry and then also to design the cover. Here are some samples.
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wien, the capital of music #WordlessWednesday #snapshot
Vienna, the capital of music, where even the horses jam too. snapshot for #WordlessWednesday by © friedrich zettl
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yes, no coffee today. #WordlessWednesday #snapshot
Yes, we have no coffee today. A Shanghai Starbucks coffeeshop as a failed business. A photo for #WordlessWednesday
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fish and chips #WordlessWednesday #snapshot
Fish and chips Asian style. Negombo, Sri Lanka 2016. Photo for “WordlessWednesday”
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siem reap heartbreakers #WordlessWednesday #snapshot
missing those heartbreakers from siem reap
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electricity buddha #WordlessWednesday #snapshot
a little buddha protects the power supply in sri lanka
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retrieval by nature #WordlessWednesday
Retrieval by nature. Ta Prom, not far from the area where Francis Ford Coppola shot scenes for Apocalypse Now.
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corporate concept #WordlessWednesday
Chaos Investment Company. Shanghai, Putong. A photo for #WordlessWednesday – no words, just pictures. Allow your photos to tell the story.
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just two characters
I uploaded a new video on youtube, it’s about my calligraphy. Well, in the broadest sense – from traditional to Asemic and painted calligraphy.
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Too young to die – too old to rock’n roll + scam alert
No, it’s not the title of my autobiography and no advertising for Jethro Tull. Much simplier.
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minor, major and a video
bookmarks video: I wanted to present another video in this post, but as a balance to the more abstract works that I am presenting today, this relaxing video with my bookmarks seems to me to be quite suitable. I have already listed many of them on: bookmarks. In this video I used the recently presented…
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Gold, History, Friends, Sinology and Luxury
An artist’s week in the most livable city in the world: Vienna. About artistic and cultural events.
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only one picture this time….
solid gold: It’s not that I haven’t painted a lot lately, but I’m making slower progress than usual. Some of the work is almost finished and then, only small things are missing, I break off.
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goodbye beijing, hello chongqing
After the exhibition in Beijing had to be repeatedly postponed due to the pandemic, the organizer moved the exhibition to Chongqing, to the Hong Art Museum Chongqing.
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dreamtellers
The Surrealists really turned my world around. First was André Breton who opened the door to this world for me. Then came the painters like Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico etc.
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how we (I) see
Many years ago I read an article about viewing habits. A certain audience was asked the question (sort of): “Do you think we all see the same thing when we look at something?”
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now and zen and later
A few decades ago, the term Zen moment was quite unknown in the West. Today it has become a consumer item and similar to the pair of terms feng shui 風水, most people do not understand what it is actually about.
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Ophelia 2022
Ophelia 2022: When most art lovers hear the word Ophelia, they probably think of one of the most famous Pre-Raphalelite paintings. Ophelia is a painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais.
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front page in Chinese newspaper again
The 光明日报 guangming daily has published a quite detailed report about me, and that on the front page. Last year an article about me, with a focus on calligraphy, appeared in this important newspaper,
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teaser for next exhibition
I’ve been needing a few short video clips for my work for a long time. With a little effort I was able to get something going myself, but then the result was too boring for me and I left this task to someone else.
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etudes
Etudes: If one looks up the English-language equivalent of the French term études in conventional dictionaries, the result is generally “studies”. Only when you translate it from a music-theoretical point of view do you come up with “etudes”.
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metaverse (V)
After my last post (metaverse IV) Schrödinger, his cat, you and I basically agreed that IS and NOT-IS can exist at the same time.
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metaverse (IV)
day & night and Schrödinger’s cat [1] I am very pleased that my postings on this topic are so well received and thank you for the general interest!After this posting today, one more on this topic will follow, but it will be easier to understand. Today it gets a little more complicated. When I…
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metaverse (III)
the beginning and the end Short preliminary remark If I just started with my thoughts, there would be a certain danger of someone shouting: “Hey, that’s not scientific!” Two preliminary remarks are therefore permitted. All our thinking is based on previously thought and mostly we deal with premises. Such as A $100 bill has a…
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Metaverse Project Started (II)
prologue and reflections After my last 2 postings on Kabul and Pyongyang (in the broadest sense also a kind of metaverse 😊) I would like to come back to my personal metaverse today and in the following postings to come. In the first post on this topic metaverse, I presented initial attempts to devote…
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My Ukraine contribution
The picture stands on its own and the title underscores the theme: ” Голубь мира над Киевом”. (Peace Dove over Kiev).
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studies for oil paintings
This week I did some studies on landscape, seascape and organic theme. 3 representative works are presented today.
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my kind of metaverse (I)
In February I started playing around with an idea, but I don’t know if it will become a series yet: It’s dedicated to the metaverse.
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Flyer for my Beijing Exhibition
Flyer for my exhibition in Beijing this spring. Honoring 50 years of cultural exchange between Europe and China.
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Cats in Chinese Painting
Let’s play a little game again: Let’s imagine there is a competition with 3 cats at the start. The “best” cat should be chosen. Which would get your vote: 1, 2 or 3?
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What a dot can do
Reflections on a dot in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. About the meaning of the smallest part of a painting.
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diffuse light
When I started thinking of light in fine arts again about who influenced me it was, Lyonel Feininger came to my mind.
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snow and ice and corona
As I mentioned in my last post, January and February are not my favorite months, especially when it comes to painting. But I try to use the time, make drafts, do some calligraphy, play with ideas and try to improve my painting technique.
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watching the night
About winter depressions. Since this topic has been with me for decades, I would like to present a few examples that have emerged over the years. A useful tool to cope with this is the artistic reflection on this topic.
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new works in abstract surrealism
When it comes to painting, I’m most creative in the evening and after-hours. I can turn off the day’s events and concentrate fully on painting. However, I have to be careful not to work too long. It often happens that I start with enthusiasm and vigor and fall in love with a job right from…
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triptych variant
I presented a tryptich a few days ago. As is so often the case, the underlying idea has not been shelved for me and so I wanted to see how a variant could look like. So I created another work to replace one of the triptych.
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waltzing corona
My first painting this year is this triptych. I will take this as an opportunity to present my point of view, because if I can manage to explain the essential points clearly, you may look at Chinese art from a different perspective in the future.
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New Year’s Pastime
In China, calligraphy is mainly written for the Chinese New Year, as far as calligraphy is still used. This year I wanted to start our New Year with calligraphy, with a poem by Tang Yin. He’s not my favorite calligrapher, nor my favorite poet, but his work is good if you haven’t practiced seriously in…
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20212022
The year 2021 is over and, like every year, I am taking stock. This time as a blog post.
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bookmark session
Since I don’t celebrate Christmas I have a lot of free time for other activities. And since I came across my box of bookmarks, I took that as an opportunity to create 20 bookmarks again.
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about my surrealist work
When I started painting decades ago, the first few years were marked by surrealism. Mainly because I was more concerned with literature and I soon came across authors like André Breton or Paul Éluard, whose ideas fascinated and influenced me.
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trying environment topic
I made 2 versions on a topic that has been with me for a long time: 2 vanishing points. The easiest way to depict this idea is in a landscape painting and so I chose this construction.
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new territories to explore
I haven’t painted as much for a long time as I did this year and my vigor, joy and urge to improve is unbroken. Now we are in the 4th lockdown and I take it very calmly – more time to paint…. I deliberately took a short break from my Corona series. That prevents me…
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corona and the sea
Graphing the phenomenon Covid-19 is a difficult undertaking in several respects, whereby the most important questions for me are: How do I make the invisible visible? How do I create a predominantly abstract image in such a way that the underlying phenomenon can be recognized? But above all, how do I convey the areas of…
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another one of those
Today I would like to present a newer picture and originally I had no intention of writing about it, at least almost. Why this?
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trying the big bang
At the latest when I started to approach abstract painting, and that was only a year ago – so I’m still pretty much at the beginning – an idea stuck in my head. ….
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girls – girls – girls
There was a long period of time in which I painted a lot of portraits. I also painted men, a task that was generally easy for me. Men usually have very distinctive faces, especially older ones. Much more exciting, however, was always the topic of women, and especially girls.
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remembering a landscape
whole, I am quite satisfied. However, they are not landscapes, as I often used to do in the past, that I painted in the wild, but rather a play around with ideas or set pieces.
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simple painting with some ideas
I recently presented a few drafts and sketches, ideas that should flow into my next exhibition on the subject of Covid-19. They were largely abstract. I was very pleased with the feedback, as it helped me to reflect on the topic better. Thank you!
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almost thrown away
I have a few binders of work that I originally wanted to throw away. The reason? I mostly work on series. These have to follow a certain concept or thought. If a work does not fit in, it will be sorted out.
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The Essence of Chinese Painting (IX)
The Essence of Chinese Painting Part 3. This artivcle is dealing with the structure in Chinese painting by using some examples.
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if sharks were people
Among other things, Berthold Brecht wrote short stories, the “Stories from Mr. Keuner” are particularly well known. I would like to present a story here. If the sharks were people.
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burning down the snow
There has long been a phrase in my ideas treasure chest: burning snow. I’m not sure if this is a creation from myself. Probably born out of my intellectual confrontation with Schubert’s “Winterreise”. It can just as well come from a poem or even a pop song.
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white black red
As in most of my work ideas from Chinese painting and calligraphy flow into them. I would like to take this opportunity to point out a special aspect that is of essential importance for the understanding of East Asian art: the importance of the non-represented, the nothing, the white.
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triptych finished
The title of this triptych is a mountain. In principle, it shows 3 mountain peaks that together form a mountain. Just like the Chinese character for mountain 3 represents mountain peaks.
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nude drawing
Nude drawing is one of the most important pillars in a painter’s education. For me it has always been one of my weak points. These works are from the time I was at the academy and the time I started to enjoy life drawing.
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abstract landscape painting
Abstract landscape painting, ink on Yupo Paper
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paint away pain
Abstract landscape painting, ink and pastels on hand made paper. With Schubert as a source of energy.
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another couple of new works
Last weekend was another very productive one. I am working on a couple of series and was able to finish some work which can be added now. Like these painting of withered flowers, landscape, stones and abstract composition.
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a couple of new works
Last weekend was very productive. I am very satisfied with some of the works and would therefore like to present them.
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a step forward
For decades I have painted figurative. Almost 2 years ago I started to develop myself into abstract painting. Even if I haven’t found a definitive style, I’m pretty happy with my progress like this rocks and stones painting.