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Stefan Szczesny: German master of life-affirming painting

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero
Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

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Stefan Szczesny was born in Munich in 1951 and is one of the most important contemporary German artists. His works represent emotions and diverse cultural influences that have shaped his creative career over the years. With a light touch and a playful approach to form and color, Szczesny has created a distinctive style that has won over critics and collectors alike.

His style can be described as a synthesis of painting in the style of Henri Matisse and expressive dynamism à la Pablo Picasso. In his works, Szczesny focuses on classical themes such as nudes and still lifes. The artist always emphasizes a sensual, life-affirming objectivity. In his paintings, nature and culture blend in a rigorous manner.

Today he is one of the most famous German artists worldwide.

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Early years and artistic career

Stefan Szczesny was born in Munich, the son of playwright Martha Meuffels and philosopher and writer Gerhard Szczesny; his sister is the writer Claudia Szczesny-Friedmann. Before beginning his career, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and worked in the arts and culture section of the Abendzeitung newspaper. 

After graduating from high school, Szczesny studied 1967 to 1969 School for Fine and Applied Arts in Berlin Academy of Fine Arts in MunichDuring this time, he also worked in the arts and culture section of the Abendzeitung newspaper. Artistically, Szczesny devoted himself to monochromatic, concrete art as well as conceptual art. This changed after a visit to Paris in 1975/76, when he turned to figurative painting after encountering the works of A. Delacroix.

His study of the Italian Renaissance during his travels to the Villa Romana, Florence (1980), and the Villa Massimo, Rome (1982/83), further motivated him towards figurative painting. In the following decades, he frequently stayed in the Mediterranean region; the impressions he gathered there have always influenced his artistic work.

Stefan Szczesny at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Seville (Spain, 2019)
Stefan Szczesny at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Seville (Spain, 2019)
Image source: Stefan Szczesny, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Exhibitions and showcases

Szczesny was a key figure in the "Junge Wilde" (Young Wild Ones)towards the end of the 1970s expressive, figurative painting . He developed a unique style that radiated lightness and brightness.

His first exhibition at the Bonn State Museum took place in 1980. In 1981, he co-organized the renowned "Rundschau Deutschland," which featured the "Junge Wilde" (Young Wild Ones) art movement. During the 1990s, he undertook several trips to the Caribbean. In 1994, he opened another studio in New York (which operated until 2001), and in 1996, he founded the "Szczesny Factory," which enabled him to collaborate with companies on larger art projects such as "World Map of Life" at Expo 2000 in Hanover and "A Dream of an Earthly Paradise" on Mainau Island in 2007.

In 2001 he moved to Saint-Tropez. The retrospective “Métamorphoses méditerranéennes” at the Papal Palace in Avignon was the provisional highlight of his busy exhibition calendar.

The works of Stefan Szczesny are represented in, among others, the following museums and institutions:

  • Rhineland State Museum Bonn
  • Kunsthalle Bremen
  • Kunsthalle Emden
  • Kunsthalle Mannheim
  • Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
  • Municipal Gallery in the Lenbachhaus and Kunstbau Munich
  • Musée de la Castre & Villa Domergue, Cannes
  • Villa Massimo, Rome
  • New Gallery of the City of Linz
  • Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Ithaca/NY

In July 2023, the artist exhibited his works at the ARTES art center in Berlin. Here, Szczesny talks about his time with the “Young Wild Ones”:

Regarding his guiding principle of creating life-affirming art, he also said the following in the run-up to this exhibition:

Last year saw the inaugural Tegernsee Art Masters , which is intended to become an annual cultural event in the region. Within this cultural framework, the life's work of Stefan Szczesny was also honored.

Buy works by Stefan Szczesny

Through the Kunstplaza online gallery you will find a curated selection of paintings, sculptures, unique pieces and limited editions by the artist.

Stefan Szczesny on Instagram

His Instagram posts offer a personal glimpse into his creative processes and sources of inspiration. By compiling sketches, color palettes, and snapshots of his studio work, Szczesny creates a vibrant connection with his followers.

 

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Art styles and movements

The art style or style of artworks refers to the uniform expression of the artworks and cultural products of an era, an artist or group of artists, an art movement or art school.

This is a tool for classifying and systematizing the diversity of art. It denotes similarities that differ from others.

The term is thematically related to the Art Movement, but it should not be viewed solely within a temporal framework and is therefore much broader.

In this section, we would like to help you gain a better understanding of styles and movements in art.

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