"My enthusiasm for flowers and flower painting has always accompanied me. I attach great importance to not only depicting flowers, but also to conveying a deeper meaning. For me, a plant acts as a metaphor in a world of mass products. Blossoming, passing, change, withering, transformation, transition, turning, decay: here the plant shows itself once more in all its splendour and at the same time in its fragility. In its light and shadow effects, it rebels against nature and against the expected rigidity. It is a momentary standstill of time by which one is deeply gripped. The theme also invites reflection and contemplation on life and the beauty inherent in the process of life.
The creation of each painting is a multi-part process. As an example: First the motif is chosen, then the drying process of the plant takes place. In the next step, sketches are made and then painted with oil paints. Most of my paintings are created without a background on the canvas. This makes the painting very demanding - but at the same time allows full concentration on the subject of flowers and the process of beauty.
The artworks are still lifes and combine three typical aspects of this genre: representational painting, flower painting and the reference to transience. But while most classical still lifes depicting flowers show whole bouquets, I concentrate on single flowers. This gives me and my works the opportunity to relate the vanitas motif to the individual as well. At the same time, with my series of paintings, I expand the still-life concept of transience to include the element of beauty.