Daniel Richter Omnivoren aus dem All, 2022

German artist Daniel Richter navigates the line between abstraction and figuration to formulate his own distinctive pictorial language. Omnivoren aus dem All (2022) depicts biomorphic forms in a rich, forest green palette. Contrasting coral lines articulate pod-like structures at the centre of the work, evoking both plant life and the hues of flesh, perhaps in reference to the dual substances consumed by the titular omnivores.

Recent developments in the artist’s approach to painting have prompted Richter to allow the structure of his works to be guided by colour rather than line; he first applies layered fields of colour using a palette knife, which are then outlined using bold, graphic strokes. In the context of his paintings, this technique generates ambiguous compositions that signal ongoing processes of disintegration and reconstitution in which the subject of the work often evades stable interpretation.