The uncommonly rich paintings and watercolors of Berlin-based painter Uwe Kowski (born 1963 in Leipzig) walk a fine line between abstraction and representation. They are delicate, complex compositions whose layers of paint can hide written words or any of many art-historical references from the Impressionists to Jasper Johns. “Kowski regards painting as medium of change and ambiguity. As opposed to capturing things or making clear statements, he paints to show the viewer the possibility of permanent change and the potential for transformation and playful double meanings,” writes editor Nils Ohlsen, director of the Kunsthalle Emden.

This volume collects the first comprehensive selection from works of the past eight years, produced in close collaboration with the artist. It is a good opportunity to immerse oneself in these remarkably differentiated paintings that manage to reconcile so many contradictions: statements and questions, form and dissolution, order and chaos. As Ulf Küster quite rightly says in his essay: “Anyone who wants to find out about the possibilities and non-possibilities of painting, drawing, and writing should take a close look at Uwe Kowski’s pictures.”

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In collaboration with Kunsthalle Emden