Acrylic painting “Sleeping Muse” (2014) by Stefan Szczesny (original painting / unique piece)

The artistic work of Stefan Szczesny, born in Munich in 1951, has significantly shaped contemporary art. A scholarship in Paris and residencies in New York, at the Villa Massimo in Rome, in the South of France, and in the Caribbean profoundly influenced his work. Szczesny was a key figure in the "Junge Wilde" (Young Wild Ones) movement, which rediscovered expressive, figurative painting towards the end of the 1970s. In the meantime, he has developed a distinctive style that conveys lightness and cheerfulness. Inspired by artists such as Matisse and Picasso, Szczesny focuses on classical themes like the nude and still life in his paintings. The artist emphasizes a sensual, colorful representational style. In his paintings, nature and culture merge in their most extreme form. Szczesny is now considered one of the most important contemporary artists in Europe.