Raphael Rack

Raphael Rack

Born in Bad Homburg in 1968, the painter was encouraged to paint at a young age by his grandmother, who was a talented draughtswoman. Even as a schoolboy, he sold small model figures that he had artistically designed himself. The trigger to pursue an artistic career finally came in 1987 when he visited the “documenta” in Kassel with the art performance course. "There I saw a picture by Gerhard Richter, a realistic view of Cologne Cathedral - that was a key experience," he says. In the painting "Dome Corner", light and shadow play impressively with each other, allowing power and beauty to glimmer.

Raphael Rack applied to the “Hochschule für Gestaltung” in Offenbach am Main (HfG) in 1989 at the age of only 19 and was accepted as the youngest applicant with his portfolio

Complexity as a concern

Right from the start, Raphael Rack used oil paints, which dry slowly but have a great radiance. He usually works with large formats, applies layers and uses the spatula. He repeatedly applies paint, lets it dry, goes over it again, and scrapes areas free again. What emerges underneath is breathtaking. Thus, unique color compositions are created with a special haptic of the image surface made of almost 100 layers, which are reminiscent of cracking birch bark.In this way he reaches a depth that the eye can no longer let go of. "My paintings are not meant to be interpretable. I have a plan and know the steps, but in the end my pictures are so dense that they allow many points of view," says Raphael Rack.  He wants viewers to discover something new in a painting even after a long time.  Collectors say that his works take you on a journey through life.