Walter Dahn

Walter Dahn is a contemporary German painter and sculptor. As an important figure in the Neue Wilde movement, his work is characterized by its incorporation of symbolism, use of aggressive, gestural marks, and fascination with so-called “Outside Art.” Throughout his practice, Dahn regularly incorporates punk imagery and text executed with a slap-dash painting style. “My work, my everyday life, is communication,” Dahn has explained. “It's an exchange of ideas. Even if I'm labeled naive, I couldn't care less.” Interested in the intersection of music with visual art, he is also a musician himself. Born on October 8, 1954 in St. Tonis, Germany, Dahn studied at Düsseldorf Art Academy under JosephBeuys, who has remained a major influence on his work. Dahn’s Neo-Expressionist paintings gained popularity in the 1980s while he was a member of the artist collective known as Mulheimer Freiheit. His work has since been the subject of solo exhibitions at Venus Over Manhattan in New York, Sprüth Magers in Berlin, and Yvon Lambert in Paris, among others. The artist lives and works in Cologne, Germany.

Courtesy of Sprüth Magers