SABINE KÜRZEL | World Leaders Portraits

2 Series: World Leaders-Portraits
& The Colors of the World Leaders

“In this series, I am not focused on the individuals I am portraying or making political statements. Rather, the portraits of these children and young people serve an exemplary purpose; they are well-known today as adults through media coverage, and many of us form personal images of them based on this constant reporting. As a result, viewers are already familiar with much of the future these young individuals represent in my works.”
– Sabine Kürzel

World Leaders Portraits

I see myself as a conceptual artist. Through my work, I aim to present the “ordinary” in perceptible and tangible ways. Each piece I create is closely connected to my life experiences and story.
I primarily work with two-dimensional image carriers, utilizing various visual art media, including painting, photography, a combination of both, and digital painting.
I have created a significant series called “World Leaders – Portraits.”
This series features large-format portraits of contemporary (or recently prominent) heads of state painted as children or teenagers. The inspiration for this series came from a small, color photograph I found online in 2020 of former US President Donald Trump at about 3-4 years old.
The image immediately captivated me and triggered a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, driving me to develop the “World Leaders – Portraits” series.

In this series, I am not focused on the individuals I am portraying or making political statements. Rather, the portraits of these children and young people serve an exemplary purpose; they are well-known today as adults through media coverage, and many of us form personal images of them based on this constant reporting. As a result, viewers are already familiar with much of the future these young individuals represent in my works.
Creating this series has prompted me to reflect on my life, looking into my past and present.
The works also focus on expressing the meaning of time—how we perceive it both qualitatively and quantitatively.
I painted these images to examine my life and determine whether it aligns with my expectations or has unfolded differently than I imagined.

I consider my current situation while also contemplating the future—both in a general sense and in terms of my personal aspirations, which evolve over time along with changes in the world.
By selecting these well-known individuals for my works, I aim to offer viewers the same opportunity for reflection that my paintings provide for me.

SABINE KÜRZEL

Sabine Kürzel, a contemporary mixed-media artist, was born in Stuttgart in 1964 and has established herself as a prominent figure in the German art scene. Kürzel graduated in 1990 with a diploma in Fine Arts from the esteemed University of Fine Arts Braunschweig (HBK Braunschweig), where she developed her unique artistic vision.
Since 2018, Kürzel has been actively showcasing her creative endeavors through solo and group exhibitions across Germany, captivating audiences with her innovative approaches and thought-provoking works. Her art has garnered international attention, been featured in respected publications, and been exhibited at renowned international art fairs, notably at the Discovery Art Fair Cologne in 2021 and 2023.
Among her solo exhibitions, “The Colorful World,” held at the Blue Art Salon in Osnabrück, is a testament to her unique artistic style, while “Home Life,” showcased at intervision studio Osnabrück in 2011, invited viewers into her intimate artistic explorations.

In the years 2016 and 2017, Kürzel’s captivating works were presented in a highly acclaimed solo show titled “Perfect World” at the BBK-Kunstquartier in Osnabrück, further establishing her reputation. The following year, she continued to impress with her exhibition “Heim+Heimat” at Gallery Rubrechtcontemporary in Wiesbaden.

Kürzel has also participated in various group exhibitions, highlighting her collaborative spirit within the art community. Noteworthy is her involvement in the Art Prize Osnabrück 2022, held at the Museumsquartier in Osnabrück, and the “Movement” exhibition at Kunstverein Family Montez in Frankfurt/Main in 2017, both of which showcased her dynamic artistic contributions alongside fellow artists. Sabine Kürzel continues to enrich the contemporary art landscape in Germany and beyond with each exhibition.

“Creating this series has prompted me to reflect on my life, looking into my past and present.
The works also focus on expressing the meaning of time—how we perceive it both qualitatively and quantitatively. “
– Sabine Kürzel

The Colors of the World Leaders

“Working on my paintings calms me down and gives me confidence. They are unagitated, slow, honest, and lengthy answers to many of my questions.”

The works of art in this series were created in parallel to my large-format portraits of children and teenagers of current heads of state.  
Like the large portraits, they are painted with acrylic on canvas and show the process required to mix particular color tones for a picture—in this case, the color tones for the large portraits of the world leaders.  
As far as color and form are concerned, I always stick very closely to the template I have previously designed on the PC when painting large portraits.

“The works of art in this series were created in parallel to my large-format portraits of children and teenagers of current heads of state.  
Like the large portraits, they are painted with acrylic on canvas and show the process required to mix particular color tones for a picture—in this case, the color tones for the large portraits of the world leaders. “
– Sabine Kürzel

I intend to do so (the creative work is then almost completed before the painting process! is completed); I can allow myself a great deal of freedom in work on the series “The Colors of the World Leaders” and on the way to  “finding the right hue” I can pretty much let off steam and apply a colored brushstroke as and where it occurs to me.
It’s an exercise in letting go of control, which doesn’t work well as soon as you set out to do it. This is my experience. 
I arrange the individual “strips of paint” on the canvas to create abstract, color-intensive paintings with a conceptual character.

See the full article in Art Market Magazine Issue #101