Martin Wehmer is a true painter by almost any definition. Born in 1966 in Hettingen, Germany, he became a practicing painter after receiving his formal art education in Germany. He has received several art awards by the Academy and Art Fund in Europe. His work has been exhibited in art fairs and museums, including the Zurich Art Fair, the Museum in Basel, as well as the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Museum.
As being proficient in art history, Wehmer 's knowledge extends to include issues of international contemporary art. He is a dedicated painter as well as an art educator. In his role as art lecturer at CDK Hangzhou, a joint program with UDK Berlin, he facilitates art exchange programs between China and Germany.
To quote an old Chinese saying, "the painting reflects the painter himself". One's first impressions of Wehmer's bold strokes and elegant colors are confrontational. Upon closer examination, his work demonstrates extraordinary skill, concise and intellectual investigations, that are pursued with great conviction.
Originating from the annals of western art history, the paintings are concerned with issues of material, structure, place, and space – issues that are distinctive to painting.
Wehmer's turning point came in 2008, the year he came to Beijing as a resident artist with an art grant from Switzerland. He has been painting in China ever since.
His China paintings include epically sized panoramic canvases of geometric blocks, inverted or distorted Sun Wukon graphics, and fragmented limbs and heads that seem to create a sense of unease and regret.
His recent works are composed of recognizable images carrying conceptual significance by means of his abstract expressionist technique. In particular, The Green Woman with a Paper in Hand is a breakthrough in his painting, as it juxtaposes the image into the imagination, implying a concept behind the image. As a result, his work initiates an international form, which pushes beyond the limits of abstract expressionism.
Vitality in the language of painting is more concerned with expressing emotion and affection than it is about representing an actual image. The Chinese character Xiang means image in English, although its meaning in Chinese is not about the physical appearance, but rather, the mental one or the one in one’s heart. Wehmer succeeds in giving a certain answer to this question through the emotive power of his work.
Chai Zhongjian, an art critic and philosopher, states that “Martin Wehmer is absolutely the user of paints and brushes, he simply creates the brush strokes that belongs to him, without the need to employ outside elements."
This is what Wehmer's paintings are all about. He provides us with a new experience and perspective, which enables us to see more clearly through the diversity of civilization and opens the window onto a new kind of reality.
I met Martin for the first time in 2008 while he was the co-curator of 798 Art Biennale. I did not know that he was a painter at the time, as he was a man of few words. In 2010, he was reintroduced to me by the previous German Ambassador Shaefer and Mrs. Shaefer, and it was only then that I got to know his work. Initially, it was a bit difficult to understand or to accept, but once I learned more about it, then I loved it much more. There is an undeniable Deutsche spirit in Martin Wehmer, which he expresses through his pursuit of perfection and strictness in his creativity. Just like the person himself, his work never intends to delight or appease the viewer.
Every work contains extensive research and contemplation. With an average of 30 works each year, he does not produce more work than is necessary. I therefore prefer to call him a "research painter". As for Martin Wehmer, painting is all about his life.
- Catherine Cheng
*image (left)
courtesy of the artist and Being 3 Art Gallery
