Stohead

Biographie

Stohead est né en 1973 à Schwäbisch Hall dans la partie sud de l’Allemagne.
A 14 ans il découvre le graffiti et sous forme de tag’s et de pièces de style Old Shool qui se trouvaient sur les murs de sa ville. A partir de ce moment, le graffiti est devenue partie intégrante de sa vie. Il se lance dés 1989.

Après une longue carrière de writer (qui défini un artiste plus concentré sur le tag que sur l’œuvre graffiti), il déménage à Hambourg (Allemagne) en 1989 et rejoint le collectif “Getting Up” qu’il co-fonde avec Daim, Tasek et Daddy Cool. Ensembles, ils réaliseront parmi les plus grand murs jamais peints en Europe.

Toute la force du travail de Stohead réside en sa calligraphie contemporaine et ses throw up (larges tags en 2 dimensions). Ses lettres stylées, sa calligraphie particulière et ses coulures sont les éléments principaux de son œuvre, tout autant que messages, textes et d’iconographie rap ou punk qui ont bercés son adolescence. Aujourd’hui Stohead vit à Berlin ou il travaille en tant que artiste peintre, sculpteur et illustrateur.

Stohead’s artistic passion is to depict the art of writing, which is displayed throughout his oeuvre. Scripture transports information, provokes thoughts and emotions, which coalesce and are then permanently preserved on paper.

However, scripture can turn into an aesthetic masterpiece when using the skill of calligraphy. It is this very process combined with the code of the streets that characterize Stohead’s creative work. These codes are composed of lyrics from songs, texts, and or keywords of relevant social issues decoded and organized by the artist. With repetition of the extracted phrases they are then turned into a design and or a three-dimensional sculpture.The arrangement diverts readability and leaves the beholder with the impact of colour figure, and shape. With fierce determination and intense physical labour, Stohead puts his raw emotions and feelings into the sculptures primer.

When the viewer starts to decipher the codes they will be confronted with subtitle references to socio-critical themes and poetical discourse in daily world affairs. The quite aggressive diction in Stohead’s calligraphies evolves from his disillusions, anger, and feelings toward a generation that is overburdened with technology. Stohead represents his cultural identity by seeking inspiration from the Hip-Hop and Punk music scene. He uses their urban vocabulary as a main source of inspiration for his work. Therefore preserving the scripture of the street beyond the digital realm and viewing himself as a modern day historian.

Expositions

2013
*Black & white” Kunstclub Hamburg, Hamburg. D
*REkollekt” die Kunstagentin, Cologne. D
*Art fair Karlsruhe” Circle Culture Gallery, Karlsruhe. D
*Decomposition” solo show, Circle Culture Gallery, Berlin. D
*ephemeral” presented by Circle Culture Gallery, Pret a diner, Berlin. D

2012
& Friends – Galerie Le Feuvre

2011
“Stohead”, OneZeroMore Artspace, Hamburg, D

2010
“Versteckspiele“, Galerie Im Namen des Raumes, Berlin. D
“Stroke03
“, Galerie Schaufenster, Berlin. D

2009
“Young blood“, Kunstverein, Rottweil. D
“Write now
“, Klingspormuseum, Offenbach. D

2008
“Scratch the surface“ Soulgallery, Berlin. D
“Call it what you like!“, Art Centre Silkeborg Bad, Silkeborg. DK

2007
“Fabulosas Desordens“, Caixa cultural, Rio de Janeiro. BR
“Wakin up nights
“, De Pury Luxembourg, Zürich. CH
“Still on and non the wiser
“, Von der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal. D
“We are the people who are darker than blue
“, Reinking Projekte & Peter Borchardt. Stilwerk, Hamburg. D

2006
“Coming soon“, Reinking Projekte & Contemporary Art Projects Blashofer, Berlin. D
“Six fingers
“, Six fingers, Hamburg. D
“Carhartt gallery opening
“, Carhartt Gallery, Weil am Rhein. D

2005
“Smell of paint in the air“, K3, Kampnagel, Hamburg. D
& Westwendischer Kunstverein, Gartow. D
“Passion des Sammelns
“, Sammlung Reinking / Federkiel, Baumwollspinnerei, Leipzig. D
“Minimal Illusions
“, Villa Merkel, Esslingen. D

2004
“Characters to hold“, Pictoplasma 1st int. conference on character design
Best Shop, Berlin.

2003
“Getting-up“, Galerie Elbchaussee 8, Hamburg. D
“City kingz
“, The Showroom, Bruxelles, Gent , Antwerp. B
“Da sein – Positionen zeitgenössischer Kunst
“, Ernst Barlach Museum, Ratzeburg. D
“Constructions urbaines
“, Taxie Gallery, Paris. F
“Kunstschlacht
“, Worldatelier & Klingspormuseum, Offenbach. D

2002
“Sunday art club“, Orange Club, Hamburg. D
“Getting-up
“, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg. D
“Kosmopolite festival
“, Bagnolet, Paris. F
“Canvars
“, Galerie Horizont der Dokumenta, Kassel. D
“Urban discipline
“, Astra-Hallen St. Pauli, Hamburg. D
“Sights and sounds
“, Galerie Fischladen, Gronau. D
“Tribus urbaines
“, Fete des cultures, Bruxelles. B

2001
“Urban disciplin”, Alte Postsortierhalle, Hamburg. D
“Gamble can”, Best Western, Gera. D

2000
“Urban discipline”, Ex-I-Punkt Skateland, Hamburg. D
“Graffiti auf Leinwand”, Kunsthof Dargast, Rügen. D
“Getting-up”. Schweriner Schloss, Schwerin. D

1999
“Graffitiart”, Phonodrom, Hamburg. D