“Nine” (2022) by Cren, acrylic on canvas

Since Michel Pietsch (born 1970 in Lehrte) first picked up a spray can under his pseudonym Cren in 1989, typography has been the starting point and foundation of his artistic work. Building on his experience as a graffiti artist, Cren considers typography a central element of communication and an important carrier of information in everyday life. With his colorful works, which straddle the line between graffiti and abstract painting, Cren has enjoyed great success for many years and has already adorned walls in over four countries on three continents with his lettering. Cren breaks with the conventional rules of typography by deconstructing letters individually and then reassembling them into a new, cohesive image.