1967 born in Kösching, lives and works in Cologne since 1989

Non-conformist realism

Christian Hein paints realistically. Born in Kösching in 1967, the artist has lived and worked in Cologne since 1989. Instead of canvas, he uses other textile surfaces from our everyday culture such as sheets, flags, surf sails, filter fabric, clothing or towels, preferably used and worn. The image carriers for his oil paintings are taken from everyday life as well as the motifs, but in a way that is not usual and commonplace in art. The motifs are based on photographs that Hein has taken himself in his surroundings or on vacation or that are taken from external image templates, but which do not, as usual, serve as full templates for photorealistic painting.
It is always about people in everyday life, about their behavior, their actions, waiting or interaction, which through the choice of motifs appears more unusual than is usually perceived in everyday life.

Text:  Dr. Dirk Tölke, art historian, Aachen 2015 Fotografie: Gerhard Richter, Köln 2019