Based on your experience, can you give an explanation as to why people begin to collect art?

I have seen different types of collectors one of them start collecting because it's a good investment and usually they hire art advisors to acquire art for them. Another ones collect art to express their own personality, they love showing their art and telling stories when, where and why they have acquired it. And recently I've met people who collects art to support it, because they believe in the importance of art. For them to support art is like a contribution to the better future of society.

Which function does the artist fulfill in society?

Artists serve as storytellers and explorers of the human condition, have fulfilled the important role of challenging societal norms, sparking dialogue, and offering alternative perspectives. They contribute to cultural enrichment and can be a catalyst for change.  transmuting the ordinary into the extraordinary, questioning the boundaries of predetermined values and interconnectedness of ideas. They invite the viewers to shift their perspective, and raise all sorts of philosophical questions about the nature of self, and the existence of a soul.

Which function does the artist fulfill in society?

Whether artist or not, every human being has the duty in the society to move here on the earth like a guest. Because we are only guests on earth! For me the question always arises about the meaning of the life and I come back again and again to the core point: "To become every day a better person in love!" Then there would be no wars and with it the suffering of many people and animals and nature. We would have no problems with man-made global warming! No famines and many other problems. If we would all try to live more love and do it every day, "Wow!"

How has your artistic career progressed and changed over time?

When I was putting my most recent art book together, I realized that although the work changed over time, the common theme is color. The imagery has evolved and the technique has become more refined. I have studied color for fifty years and I know that colors produce a vibration, therefore we tap into that vibration.

What does your art aim to say to the viewers? 

My art focusses on moments;  those snippets of time from which I can find a story in the background, such as a dripping bath tap and the light carried in the ripples, a fly on the wall, the fleeting expression on a face, a nameless place. For me, these events underpin our existence; big events, highs and lows, come and go but the insignificant and fleeting remain and repeat, like a constant hum in the background. Modern life is hectic and often crazy, and my art seeks to still the mind of the viewer, and to give them an escape from their worries and frustrations.

Do you have an essential philosophy that guides you in your creative expression?

My philosophy has always been to create exciting images that push boundaries. I’m always looking to push the boundaries of abstraction through techniques or different materials. I like to include glow-in-the-dark paint, mirrors, glass, glitter and found objects. The different objects I use to create more texture and add to the feeling, history and story of the painting. I find that’s more interesting to me and hopefully also to the viewers.

Spirituality and metaphysics themes are prevalent in many of your works. Can you explain where this interest comes from?

I was inspired by Alessandro Botticelli and Leonardo Da Vinci, as their works transmit a sense of poetic, mysterious and metaphysical meanings beyond the physical forms. The more I study those works, the more details I discover, and the more I am dragged in. I realized that figurative paintings could transcend figurative forms to explore so much more possibilities, not just imitating what we see. A good painting tells its audiences not only to look and enjoy, but also to feel and discover.

How would you describe FOA and how the idea to create it came to your mind?

FOA exists to shine a light on emerging artists through printed books. There's so much great work being made today by undiscovered artists, and our goal is to show their work to the world. I originally got the idea for FOA a year after I graduated from art school. I heard a museum director say that there were no opportunities outside of an academic context, and that statement resonated with me.

What art marketing activity do you put into practice regularly that works most successfully for you?

I try lots of different ways or getting my work out there; entering competitions, renting billboard space (for example we have ArtBelow on the London underground network where you can take advertising space to show your work) or applying to those kinds of opportunities that are a bit more unusual. But Instagram has been the best way to get exposure and connect with people all over the world. For me there is a bit of wariness in putting everything online but Instagram art followers generally seem to be very positive and I get some really lovely comments when I post, it’s great.

How and when did you first become involved in the art world?

While still at university I started to work for a bluechip dealer in Munich who provided me the first insight into the art world - with no doubt he had a very special approach on what he did. If you really want to dig back, my grandfather was publishing guides about local churches and religious art, so I remember canvases of various saints hanging everywhere.