When did you know you wanted to be an artist? Even as a toddler, I often watched my mother painting in the evenings. We had a garden shed where I liked to retreat to indulge in my daydreams. I also loved dissecting and exploring flowers and dead insects. My godfather often travelled to Africa on business, and the objects and sculptures he brought back greatly inspired my childhood imagination. I developed my strongest sense of identity as an artist during my years at art school. I felt very comfortable among my many like-minded peers, and there was a great exchange of ideas and many intense connections. Over the years, I have learned that being an artist can be very lonely and that there is a lot of competition in the art scene. My mother took me to many exhibitions and museums, and I read various artists' biographies. Being an artist always seemed to me to be the only possible and desirable way of life for me. When I told my family that I wanted to become an artist, my mother's enthusiasm evaporated. My friends thought it was cool, but most of them just smiled pityingly at me. After first learning a ‘bread-and-butter profession’, I went on to study art in Munich at the Academy of Fine Arts in the class of Prof. Franz Bernhard Weisshaar and as a guest student at the Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main with the action artist Hermann Nitsch.

‘My mission as an ambassador for Peace is to inspire the world and demand deep respect for creation.’

Who is your favourite living artist? My favourite living artist is myself, haha... My favourite living artist is Banksy. I admire him because he has achieved great fame even though he never really shows himself and has remained anonymous. I admire him for his perseverance and courage and his current social themes. I like the girl with the red heart balloon or the young man throwing a bouquet of flowers instead of a grenade. Banksy's work influences me in that it shows me that I am on the right track with my message and that perseverance ultimately leads to success. I have never met the artist in person, which is virtually impossible anyway, nor have I visited any of his exhibitions, but I did get to admire some of his works during a stay in London earlier this year. I also recently saw a film about him by Thierry Guetta and was very impressed by his radicalism and fearlessness. What sets him apart from other artists is that he remains anonymous, which is precisely what makes him so fascinating.

Photographs by Alexandra Specker

What do you want your work to evoke in the viewer? I want to inspire wonder, compassion and sympathy in the viewer. I want to invite them on a journey into their inner selves to make them think. I also want to encourage them to see the world through my eyes. I measure the success of my work by the exhibition opportunities I am offered and the social relevance of my themes. My series ‘Heroes’ refers to the Hereros in Namibia, whom I have stylised into Pop Stars. People think the characters portrayed are great, but few have looked into the history of the Hereros, tens of thousands of whom were massacred under German colonial rule in the early 20th century. My themes mainly deal with indigenous peoples, the First Nations, and my aim is to bring them into focus and show their pride, dignity, wisdom and beauty. My logo is the globe, also depicted as an apple with or without a snake. The apple represents both paradise and paradise lost. According to Christian interpretation, the serpent is to blame for the expulsion from paradise, but the serpent also has many other meanings: it stands for life, renewal, rejuvenation, moulting and resurrection. It symbolises the creative power of the earth. There was once a woman who was very afraid of snakes. She thought my works were wonderful, but said she would never buy a picture with a snake in it.

What is the most interesting interpretation you have heard of your work? My art has a clear message, and for some time now I have been introducing myself to my work and not leaving the interpretation to art historians. I interpret my work myself; my art is multi-layered but unambiguous. It is up to the viewer to use their own imagination and have their own unique perspectives; of course, what someone feels and perceives always has to do with their own horizon of experience. The interpretations of outsiders don't really influence my work, unless they come from my children. I always take their criticism to heart. When it comes to choosing titles for the ‘Indigenous’ series, for example, they have occasionally criticised me, as they are simply more sensitive than I am. Otherwise, I have a vision and a plan in my head that I work according to. The feedback from viewers is mostly positive, but there have also been people who couldn't relate to the ‘Peacemakers’. These were mostly people who came out of curiosity, didn't know my work yet and hadn't informed themselves beforehand. That's more the exception than the rule. Most of the time, I encounter empathy and admiration for my courage in addressing such topics. I don't consciously create ambiguous works. But there are always different levels of meaning, especially in paintings of indigenous peoples. The title helps to understand the work. For example, ‘The Whistleblower’ refers to whistleblowers in the literal sense as well as in the figurative sense, such as Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, whom I greatly admire. Subjective perception is important to me in that it allows the viewer to engage with the image on an emotional level. Many exhibition visitors are drawn to the strong, bright colours and feel energised after viewing my works. My work conveys joie de vivre and positivity, raising awareness of relevant global issues without depicting horror scenarios. I focus on the ‘positive’, the good and the beautiful, the diversity and uniqueness of every form of life that needs to be protected, preserved and multiplied.

Where do you get your inspiration for your work? I get my inspiration from personal encounters while travelling, from books and social media. When travelling, I seek contact with people and photograph them with their personal consent. For the ‘Peacemakers’ series, I use images from newspapers and the internet, as I cannot meet and photograph them all in person, especially since many of them are no longer alive. Pop Art has influenced my style: striking and two-dimensional painting or printing (e.g. Andy Warhol). Yes, I see myself formally with the Pop Art artists, which is why I have called my style Ethno-Pop Art. Pop Art with an ethnological background. When I work on portraits of the ‘Peacemakers’, I empathise with the person in question and usually choose the colour scheme intuitively. I often choose colours that enhance and support the person's expression. Greta Thunberg, for example, who is a small and pale person, is given a reddish-orange complexion to enhance her presence and expressiveness. The light green background represents communication. My studio is my favourite place; the more time I can spend there, the happier I am. But basically, I feel inspired in many places. Anything that has a positive effect on my nervous system serves as inspiration: a special location, a good conversation, a pleasant encounter, a good meal, a good book, etc. But when the energy isn't flowing, it's really difficult to get out of that rut. I ‘brood’ over ideas, take notes, look for images, develop concepts. Then I order materials, build frames, prime canvases, make a preliminary sketch with charcoal and start working on the final piece.

What is the best thing about being an artist? Working on the canvas gives me the most pleasure. When I am in the process of painting and the so-called ‘flow’ sets in, there is nothing else like it. It is a special kind of satisfaction that comes after the work is done. As I am a spiritual person, I see myself as a ‘tool’ of a higher power that is greater than myself. As an artist, the best-case scenario is being able to realise your own life plan and lead a self-determined life. My work conveys positive input, because the strong colours have an effect. In terms of content, my themes encourage reflection and exchange with others; my work aims to create connections and build bridges where there are deep divides. The large installation of my ‘Peace Collection’, which I was able to show in 2020 as part of the ‘Denk mal Kunst’ exhibition series in the former Augustinian monastery church in Oberndorf am Neckar, was a great highlight in my artistic career. That's when the coronavirus pandemic began, but despite everything, the exhibition was a great success with many interested visitors. Some even came back several times because they were so enthusiastic and enjoyed the fascinating atmosphere created by the interplay of the church's Baroque art and my colourful installation. Unfortunately, the reality of being an artist these days is that you have to spend a lot of time at your desk and on your computer, and artistic work in the studio often gets neglected. It's difficult, but every artist has to find their own way. In any case, it's important to organise and exchange ideas with other artists, to support each other and help realise joint projects. That's very much in vogue at the moment: young artist groups.

Can you describe your techniques and artistic creative process? My tools are narrow and broad bristle brushes, and my preferred materials are Flemish linen, oil paint and linseed oil. I assemble my frames myself. They are then covered with linen and primed three times with white acrylic paint, allowing each layer to dry overnight. This is followed by a bright yellow undercoat in oil. The yellow colour symbolises light, cosmic energy and divine love. I then place a coarse grid over the canvas and begin sketching in charcoal. The charcoal lines are traced with a strong oil paint and a fine brush, then I move on to the flat elaboration with wider brushes. I often start several pictures at the same time, but when it comes to the elaboration, I stick to the individual picture from a certain stage onwards. Due to the long drying phases of oil paint, an oil painting takes at least 4-6 weeks to complete. Since I work in series, I need 4-6 months for a series, depending on the effort involved and the number of individual works. I used to experiment a lot until I developed my own style, Ethno-Pop Art. Today, I experiment within my style, both in terms of content and form. An artist is constantly evolving and reinventing themselves. Standing still is boring and kills creativity.

Noatak Child , 140 x 80 cm

What has been the most surprising moment in your artistic career so far? The most surprising and unexpected thing in my artistic career was and is... actually, it developed gradually and was more of a process. So the most unexpected event was that my own style creation, Ethno-Pop Art, was recognised in my environment and suddenly became a matter of course. After a lot of ‘uh’ and “uh” and ‘how can you do that, that's not possible,’ I finally prevailed. This event influenced me in that it confirmed my work and my actions. From this event, I learned that perseverance and stamina ultimately prevail. The event was a very positive experience and reinforced my belief that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. This experience inspired me in my work and accelerated my creative process. The event strengthened me in my path and my artistic self-image.

What is your view of our world and society? As an artist, I tend to be something of an outsider and have my own unique perspective on our world and its societies. I think holistically, i.e. globally, and I believe that the basic needs of all people around the world are largely identical. Every human being needs a roof over their head, food, love and the opportunity to develop. My work is mainly divided into two areas. These are the Peacemakers, most of whom are alternative Nobel Prize winners, but also artists and others. These people dedicate their lives and work in a wide variety of fields to the fulfilment of human rights. The other theme is indigenous peoples, or First Nations, whose deep-rooted spirituality and wisdom and whose nature-loving ways of life fascinate and inspire me greatly. With these works, I want to express my deep longing for the original. So I take a respectful look at the traditions and values of these indigenous peoples. My work is also about drawing attention to the fascination of this cultural diversity and demanding respect for creation. I want to build a visual bridge from the past to the present. Because everything is connected; I always think globally and try to keep everything in view. There are various series such as ‘Native Americans – Indigenas’ and ‘Africa’. In these series, I pay tribute to spiritual wisdom and the inseparable bond with nature. These works are an appeal to recognise and preserve the diversity and depth of the First Nations of America and the indigenous peoples of Africa. Peace on earth is particularly close to my heart, and I see myself as an ambassador for Peace through my work with the ‘Peacemakers’. The ‘Peacemakers’ serve as inspiration, and I want to focus on them as representatives of countless people who care about Peace, environmental protection and charity, and shine a light on them to highlight good examples of positive action and good opportunities. I display my Peacemakers and my Peace Collection in places and locations where people come together, where people engage in conversation with me or with each other. For example, a secularised monastery church, a cultural barn, a circle of friends seeking asylum, the Catholic Day in Erfurt, Münsterschwarzach Abbey, etc. Bringing about major changes is always difficult, but if everyone starts small with themselves, then ‘great things’ can be achieved. My vision is to take a step towards a global ethic. The older I get, the less I find myself in a personal hamster wheel where it's ‘only’ about my small personal circle. In my work, I have moved from personal to transpersonal themes. In 2012, I coined the term ‘Ethno-Pop Art’ to describe my style. My field of vision has broadened more and more, and I see many positive developments and a great deal of potential, especially among today's youth.

Whistleblower , 150 x 100 cm

Which aspect of the creative process do you enjoy most? There are many exciting moments in the creative process, from the initial idea to the exhibition. My favourite aspect is working on the painting, on the canvas. Painting in oils is my true passion. When I am “in the painting”, I feel free, I can forget everything else and let myself be intoxicated by the effect of the paint. Then I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time. ‘I paint, therefore I am.’ Reading a good book, walking in nature, travelling to distant countries, even visiting a museum or enjoying a good meal can inspire me. Actually, I feel constantly inspired. Everything that is special and beautiful stimulates my imagination and my nervous system in a positive way. A new project gives me a boost and temporarily gives me wings; I feel great. The preparatory work and the development phase are essential. If it is a location-based project, I try to visit the location if possible and let it sink in, take photos and, if available, get plans or a floor plan of the premises.

Thoughts are free , 110 x 110 cm

What are your next projects, ideas and exhibitions? Where can people experience you and your art in the near future? My next exhibition is entitled ‘PAX! Standing up for Peace’ and will take place from 23 May to 22 June 2025 at Münsterschwarzach Abbey. On 15 July 2025, there will be a studio party with Gabriele Ayivi. She runs a children's home in Nigeria and will talk about her project and sell artisanal products from Africa. The musician and composer Celio de Carvalho will provide musical accompaniment for the event. An exhibition at the Goethe Institute in Windhoek is also in the planning stages. Interested visitors are welcome to visit my studio and showroom at any time by appointment. My studio is located in Rottweil on the Moker Areal, the exact address is Königsbergerstr. 3/ 1. For further contact details, please visit my website evaburamorde.de. I am currently working on a Peacemaker, a famous Benedictine monk, as an extension of my Peacemakers series for my exhibition at Münsterschwarzach Abbey. At the same time, I am working on a series of Himba women and San people whom I met on my recent travels in Namibia. You can find up-to-date information about exhibition details and dates on my website evaburamorde.de under ‘Exhibitions’.

Source: berlin ART MAGAZINE Verfasst von der Redaktion