Daniel Richter Triumpf des Höhnischen, 2024

Ever the innovator, his recent paintings tread a path between figuration and abstraction, typified by the chaotic entanglements of fragmented bodies. Evoking a sense of rebellious energy and electric vibrancy, the figures are both playful and defiant. He uses vivid chromatic contrasts and abstracted patterning to convey a disquieting emotional tenor, heightened by the temporal and spatial indeterminacy of scenes that refuse to resolve into a coherent time, place, or even pictorial space. ‘The dynamic in my work is mainly based on pushing and shoving, or on elements that are being confronted by each other – mingling, pushing, pulling,’ he explains. Despite the underlying violence, the works convey a touching sensuality and beauty that counterbalances their restless energy.