FIRSTLY, LOOKING BACK TO YOUR EARLY DAYS IN ZURICH, WHEN YOU WERE CREATING CHARCOAL DRAWINGS AND STUDYING GRAPHIC DESIGN, WHAT WAS THE FIRST SPARK OF DESIRE TO DEVELOP YOUR DEEPLY PERSONAL VISUAL LANGUAGE, AND HOW DID THOSE EARLY EXPERIENCES SHAPE THE INTUITIVE, EXPANSIVE PRACTICE YOU HAVE TODAY?

My graphic design training was extensive, lasting five years and including photography, drawing, painting, and typography. During this time, I felt most at ease with drawing and photography, as both media allow for a very direct and spontaneous response. This spontaneity can lead to small imperfections while at the same time opening up new paths, this is exactly what makes it so exciting for me. Drawing has always been a kind of outlet for me, in contrast to the more rigid and conceptual nature of graphic design. Early on, I realized that I would not work as a graphic designer. Already during my studies, I had my first exhibitions in Zurich, presenting my charcoal drawings. In contrast to the stricter academic frameworks we were taught, my artistic practice consciously moves within an intuitive and spontaneous space. I wanted to leave behind the learned idea of how something is “supposed” to look. For me, drawing functions as a kind of aid to memory; quick, direct, with flaws, a seismograph of the images I perceive. These images originate from film, fashion, memories, and everyday situations. They are first captured in reduced drawings and later reappear in large-scale works, where they are transformed through color, pop elements, and directness. My works aim to be immediate and to evoke an emotional response.

YOUR PAINTINGS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR VIBRANT, ECLECTIC COLOR PALETTES AND THE PLAYFUL SPARKLE OF GLITTER. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH COLORS TO USE IN A PIECE, AND WHAT DRAWS YOU TO INCORPORATE GLITTER?

I begin a painting without predetermined colors; it develops organically, almost as if it unfolds by itself. The choice of color emerges intuitively during the process and is always closely connected to the subject. Influenced by the pop culture of the 1960s, I am strongly drawn to bold, vibrant colors. They have an immediate impact; direct, uncompromising, and consciously bordering on kitsch. I am particularly interested in this space, where intensity and exaggeration become a means of expression. In my work, color is meant to be grasped intuitively rather than analytically. It should act immediately, creating a direct visual and emotional resonance. In this context, at times, I use glitter to intensify this effect...I like kitsch

BY WORKING ON MULTIPLE PAINTINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY TO ESCAPE RIGIDITY AND OPEN YOURSELF UP TO NEW THEMES, DO YOU FIND THAT CERTAIN THEMES, MOTIFS, OR COLOR PALETTES BEGIN TO OVERLAP OR ECHO ACROSS THE WORKS? IF SO, DO YOU SEE THESE RECURRENCES AS INTENTIONAL THREADS WITHIN A LARGER NARRATIVE, OR AS INTUITIVE CONNECTIONS THAT REVEAL THEMSELVES ONLY IN HINDSIGHT?

I often work on several paintings around a single theme, sometimes even displaying them simultaneously in my studio. This creates overlaps, as a motif evolves across multiple works through repetition and variation. These shifts appear both in form and in the color palette. Intuitive processes alternate with more deliberate decisions, it is a continuous interplay between the two.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN, AT ITS CORE, WHY YOU MAKE ART? IS PREDOMINANTLY A PERSONAL NECESSITY, A WAY OF ASSERTING PRESENCE AND FREEDOM, OR SOMETHING BROADER LIKE A CONTRIBUTION TO A CULTURAL CONVERSATION?

Being creative in any form is liberating. I can't imagine a life without creativity. Art is my form of freedom, a way to express myself, to let my inner child live... ART IS MY GURU.

YOU RECENTLY MADE A NEW PIECE FOR 4BYSIX ON REPURPOSED LORRY TARPAULIN, A MATERIAL THAT CARRIES ITS OWN PHYSICAL PRESENCE AND ASSOCIATIONS, WHAT SPARKED YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THIS NEW WORK?

I actually went back to an older work for inspiration. The truck tarp just wasn’t inspiring me. When I work on smaller formats, I usually draw on paper with charcoal; it’s quick, and I love when a drawing surprises me. Working that way on the tarp isn’t possible. What bothered me most was the slow drying time. In the end, I translated a large-scale piece back onto the smaller truck tarp format.

GIVEN THAT YOUR PROCESS BEGINS WITH DRAWING EVERYTHING THAT PASSES THROUGH YOUR MIND, SUCH AS CHILDHOOD MEMORIES, FILM STILLS, NATURE, FASHION, FRAGMENTS FROM NEWSPAPERS, DID WORKING ON THIS NEW SURFACE SHIFT THE WAY YOUR IDEAS EVOLVED?

The tarpaulin didn’t inspire me, I simply don’t like the material. It was just a white, slightly gray surface. The development of my images almost always happens in charcoal on paper; I draw a lot. Through drawing, I revisit themes, and only then do I translate them onto large-scale canvases. For the tarpaulin, I consciously chose older themes: clear forms that create a strong, easily readable image on the surface.

IN THIS CONTEMPORARY AGE, WHERE DO YOU FIND ENVIRONMENTAL URGENCY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INCREASINGLY SHAPE THE ARTISTIC DISCOURSE AND HOW DO YOU SEE SUSTAINABILITY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ART TO FOSTER POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE WITHIN YOUR OWN WORK?

Environmental protection has always been a personal concern of mine. I have lived on solar energy for the past twenty-five years. For me, sustainability is a central theme; it begins with buying from local producers. In my artistic practice, I often use paper from flea markets and fabrics from surplus materials. For many years, I even made my own paints from pigments, based on egg tempera. Since I started working on large-scale paintings, I have been using acrylics. There is no political message in my work. I want to touch people emotionally to create a positive experience, to transmit my energy through my paintings. There is no political or social message.

FINALLY, HOW ARE YOU AND HOW IS TIME IN THE STUDIO GOING? WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU IN YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY? ARE THERE NEW THEMES, MATERIALS, OR PROJECTS YOU’RE EXCITED TO EXPLORE, OR DIRECTIONS IN YOUR PRACTICE THAT YOU FEEL ARE CALLING YOU FORWARD?

I had two very intense years with several major exhibitions, showing mostly large-scale works. This year, I’m focusing mainly on continuing my work on these large pieces, so stay tuned. I am also developing ideas that I began last year, and as always, I like to let myself be surprised by the process. And of course, I draw a lot. I’m very happy not to have an overplanned year. At the same time, I’m working on the planning and realization of my new studio house here in Las Negras. At the moment, I’m deeply involved in the design process and have many meetings with the architect. This also takes up part of my creative time, but I’m looking forward to painting in the new, large spaces in about two years. As for themes, I let myself be guided by what draws me in and what I enjoy, what interests me. I work freely, without a fixed concept. There are also exhibitions planned, although the dates have not yet been finalised.