Figurativ – Makowski Gallery

ED HECK

Rusa Makowski — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 08:23:49 +0000

ED HECK

Biography:

A native New Yorker and graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Ed HECK began his career as a scientific illustrator at the American Museum of Natural History where his meticulously rendered drawings continue to enliven the museum’s fossil halls. This foundation in empirical accuracy and restraint finds a counterpoint in the exuberant freedom of his later paintings. What may appear as a paradox between precision and play is in truth a synthesis, each reinforcing the other in a dialogue between the factual and the fantastical.

Exhibitions & Art Fairs:

When first exhibited in New York in 1999, Ed HECK’s paintings struck an immediate chord. Their distilled compositions and chromatic intensity evoked both the universality of Pop and the intimacy of personal expression. His visual language defined by bold contours, saturated hues and a refined form which has since achieved international recognition, situating him within a lineage of artists who traverse the porous boundaries between fine art and popular culture.

Statement:

Fresh. Bold. Engaging.
Such words invariably accompany the encounter with the art of Ed HECK. His vividly colored canvases articulated through assertive lines and exuberant forms at once disarm and captivate. Their immediacy conceals an underlying rigor. Beneath their spirited surfaces lies a practice grounded in observation, discipline and an exacting command of visual structure.

Ed HECK’s imagery extends seamlessly beyond the canvas into illustration and design. His signature sensibility animates children’s literature from Monkey Lost and Big Fish, Little Fish to the Ed Heck Just Board series with Penguin Publishing as well as an array of licensed creations. Across mediums, his voice remains unmistakable spirited, direct and profoundly human.

In the world of Ed HECK, simplicity attains the grace of sophistication. Every stroke, seemingly spontaneous, is placed with clarity and intent. His art becomes a language of pure form where color, line and gesture coalesce into expressions of joy, curiosity and the boundless capacity of imagination.

David Datuna

Rusa Makowski — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:06:06 +0000

David Datuna

Biography:

Bio
David Datuna (1974–2022)

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, David Datuna established his career in New York, He practiced as a self-taught artist. His work mainly explored cultural, political and social identity, with optical lenses serving as his signature medium. These lenses fractured and layered imagery, symbolizing both individual perception and collective vision.

Datuna’s mix media works incorporated photographs, paint, text and clippings from popular media, often arranged over flags, portraits and iconic symbols. In dialogue with Pop Art, he drew on familiar imagery not to glorify it, but to probe how societies construct and, consume their own icons.

His career included solo exhibitions at major institutions such as the Smithsonian, collaborations with organizations including Google Glass and the Lincoln Center and international projects like Viewpoint of Billions, which invited audiences to experience art through wearable technology.

In December 2019, Datuna captured global attention at Art Basel Miami by eating Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork Comedian, a banana duct-taped to the wall that had sold for $120,000. He titled his act Hungry Artist, framing it as a performance and commentary on value, consumption and the absurdity of the art market. This provocative gesture became one of the most talked about moments in recent art history, cementing his reputation as a socially engaged artist unafraid of challenging institutions.

Beyond his art, Datuna established philanthropic initiatives following his own battle with cancer, founding The Fund for Life and the Life Award to support medical research and lifesaving work.

David Datuna passed away in 2022 at the age of 48.

Antonio Galvan

Rusa Makowski — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:51:26 +0000

Antonio Galvan

Biography:

Antonio Galván López was born on May 19, 1980 in Mexico City. At the age of 19, he immigrated to the United States in search of new opportunities. He began his career in the art world as an assistant to the Spanish painter and sculptor Manolo Valdés. He worked with him for 24 years, though he had little knowledge in the field of art. Over time, his interest and love for art grew deeply. What was initially a challenge to maintain his job became an essential part of his daily life. Each obstacle became an opportunity to expand his artistic knowledge and skills. Antonio mastered various techniques, which includes working in bronze casting, glass sculptures, ceramics, resins, wood, alabaster, and painting. Today, he remains eager to explore new forms of artistic expression. His works reflect undeniable passion, tireless dedication, and a constant pursuit of excellence in art, understanding the importance of continuous learning and evolution on his path to artistic mastery.

Exhibitions & Art Fairs:

2019

Art Basel Miami

2025

Gallery Makowski NYC

Agora Gallery | NYC

Artexpo |NYC

Focus Art Fiar | NYC

Hampton Art Fair | NY

Art on paper | NYC

Affordable Art Fair |NYC

Boston Art Fair |NYC

Spectrum Art Fair | Miami

Nada Art Fair | Miami

Art Miami

Art Context | MiamI.

Statement:

My artistic practice stems from a deep need to explore material as a medium of profound expression. From bronze to glass, and through wood, ceramics, and resins, each material I work with embodies a duality: strength and fragility, permanence and transformation. My work seeks that meeting point between the tangible and intangible, the physical and the emotional.

Over more than two decades of learning and creating, I’ve come to understand that art is not only form but experience. I aim to provoke a pause in the viewer—a reflection on time, space, and our existence within them. I do not seek concrete answers, but rather to open a window for personal interpretation, allowing each piece to resonate uniquely with those who encounter it.

After 24 years of working under the mentorship of Manolo Valdés, my visual language has evolved into a constant search for balance between technique, intuition, and artistic growth. Today I continue on this path with the same dedication, pushing the boundaries of both material and symbolism, committed to a vision that transforms the everyday into the poetic.

Kurt Stimmeder

Rusa Makowski — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:37:36 +0000

Kurt Stimmeder

Biography:

Kurt Stimmeder Born 1972 in Bad Leonfelden. Artist Lives and works in Linz / Austria. Hi is visual artist since 2008.

Kurt Stimmeder is self-taught artist with an interdisciplinary background in music and performance-based expression.
Since 2018 he studies intensive across Europe, focusing on painting from the 14th to 17th centuries as well as Symbolism and history painting.

Exhibitions & Art Fairs:

Solo Exhibitions:
• 2022: Wenn ich schreiben könnte, müsste ich nicht malen, 3KW St. Martin (AT);
• 2014: Der springende Punkt, Galerie Thiele, Linz (AT);

Group Exhibitions:
• 2025: Clio Art Fair / Spring Art Week (New York, USA), Keshiki Kabutocho Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), Arte Genova / MOHO Art Gallery (Genoa, Italy), Galerie Dumas / Prints & Paperwork (Austria), Raiffeisen Art Collection / Pfad der Vielfalt (Austria);
• 2024: CONTEXT / Art Basel Miami Week (Miami, USA), a Palazzo Contemporary Art Prize (Vigevano, Italy), Design Festa Gallery WEST (Tokyo, Japan), A.R.T. Taipei / International Artist Grand Prize Competition (Taiwan), Galerie Dumas Hors des Murs / 59 Rivoli (Paris, France), MKG Annual Exhibition / Münchner Künstlerhaus (Munich, Germany), Arte Genova / MOHO Art Gallery (Genoa, Italy);
• 2023: Arte Padova / MOHO Art Gallery (Italy), Galerie Dumas / All about skin (Austria), A.R.T. Taipei / International Artist Grand Prize Competition (Taiwan), Artexpo New York (USA):
• 2022: Grimandi Art Gallery (New York, USA), Aqua Art Miami / Art Basel Miami Week (Miami Beach, USA), Biennale Chianciano (Tuscany, Italy), MKG Annual Exhibition / Münchner Künstlerhaus (Germany), Affordable Art Fair (London, UK), International Contest of Contemporary Art / Luciana Matalon Foundation (Milan, Italy);
• 2021: Red Dot Miami / Art Basel Miami Week / Best International Exhibitor (USA), London Art Biennale / Chelsea Old Town Hall (UK);
• 2010–2011: Galerie Thiele / Jaja, der Sommer ist da (2011, Linz), Wir lieben Kunst – 4 junge Positionen (2010, Linz), OÖ Kunstmesse / Landesgalerie Linz (2011), Attersee Perspektiven / Artist in Residence (2015).

Statement:

Kurt Stimmeder’s artistic practice merges classical painting techniques with psychologically driven stagings. His work explores questions of human existence and transformation, often through systemic role attributions, mythological narratives, and in-depth studies conducted in European museums. An intermedial approach – including video, installation, and digital interaction – shapes his work cycles, combining influences of Old Masters, contemporary themes, and personal experience. His recent triptych (Girl with Blackberries, Epagoge, Entity) investigates states of tension, transformation, and the painterly translation of transitions
between inner condition and external form.

Jurgen Marke

Rusa Makowski — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 07:45:46 +0000

Jurgen Marke

Biography:

Jürgen Marke was born in 1966 in Cuxhaven, a town in Northern Germany. He discovered his passion for painting at the age of 12, initially drawing inspiration from German Romanticism and pre-Impressionists like Corot and Daubigny. Over time, his focus shifted towards French and German Impressionists and the Leningrad school. Though self-taught, he later honed his skills under the guidance of Canadian artist Shoshana Walfish. Jürgen now lives and works near Brussels,
Belgium.

Exhibitions & Art Fairs:

Jurgen Marke’s work has been featured in various prestigious national and international exhibitions and art fairs. His art has been showcased in cultural hubs across Belgium, France, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Through these exhibitions, his unique vision and dedication to capturing light and nature have resonated with audiences worldwide.

Salon Dessin Peinture à l’Eau, Groupexhibition, February 2025 in Paris/France;

Art Miami Context, International Art Fair with Gallery Makowski, December 2024 in Miami/USA;

Art Miami Aqua, International Art Fair wih Galerie Makowski, December 2024, in Miami/USA;

Salon des Beaux Arts de la SNBA, Groupexhibition, December 2024 in Paris/France;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, November 2025, in NYC/USA;

Soloexhibition in Galerie Makowski, October 2025, in NYC/USA;

Affordable Art Stockholm, International Art Fair with Galerie Makowski, October 2024, In Stockholm/Sweden;

Salon d’Automne, Groupexhibition, October 2424 in Paris/France;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, September 2024, in NYC/USA;

Salon des Beaux Arts de la SNBA, Groupexhibition, June 2024 in Paris/France;

Groupexhibition In Galerie Makowski, May 2024 in Macao/SAR;

Soloexhibition in Galerie Makowski, April 2024, in Paris/France;

Art Shopping Paris, Art Fair with Galerie Makowski, April 2024, in Paris/France;

Art Central Hongkong, International Art Fair with Galerie Makowski, March 2024, in Hongkong/SAR;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, March 2024, in Paris/France;

Salon des Artistes Français, Groupexhibition, February 2024, in Paris/France;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, December 2023, in Shenzhen/China;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, December 2023, in Paris/France;

Soloexhibition in Galerie Makowski, December 2023, in NYC/USA;

Art figuratif, Groupexhibition, November 2023, in Brussels/Belgium;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, November 2023, in Zhuhai/China;

Borders, Groupexhibition, August 2023, in London/UK;

Future Landscapes, Groupexhibition; July/Aug, 2023, in Venice/Italy;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, July 2023, in Zhengzhou/China;

Hamptons Fine Art, International Art Fair with Galerie Makowski, in Hamptons/USA;

International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Groupexhibition, June 2023, in Seoul/South Korea;

International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Groupexhibition, june 2023, in Tokyo/Japan;

Salon d’art contemporain, Groupexhibition, May 2023, in Aix-en-Province/France;

Groupexhibition in Galerie Makowski, May 2023, in Beijng/China;

Groupexhibition in Galerie BDMC, April 2023, in Paris/France;

World Art Dubai, international Art Fair with Galerie Makowski, April 2023, in Dubai/UAE;

Paysages contemporains, soloexhibition, February 2023, in Paysages contemporains/Belgium;

Salon des Beaux Arts de la SNBA, Groupexhibition, September 2022, in Paris/France;

Paysages contemporains, soloexhibition, September 2022, in Brussels/Belgium;

European Landscapes, soloexhibition, June 2022, in Brussels/Belgium;

Towards the light, Soloexhibition, May 2022, in Rhode-Saint Genèse/Belgium;

30 years Rodeart, Groupexhibition, December 2021, in Rhode-Saint-Genèse/Belgium;

Art is in the Air, Groupexhibition, October 2020, in Rhode-Saint-Genèse/Belgium,

Statement:

“My work is deeply rooted in my love for nature and light, much like the Impressionists. When I paint, I seek moments of tranquility, often found in the early morning as nature awakens. My landscapes reflect a pure connection with the natural world, untouched by human presence. Recently, I’ve explored cityscapes, treating urban elements with the same reverence as nature, as surfaces for light to dance upon. These pieces continue my journey of capturing the essence of my surroundings and the quiet nostalgia they evoke.”

Annika Siebert

webmaster@galerie-makowski.com — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 15:41:05 +0000

Annika Siebert

Biographie:

Annika Siebert wurde 1971 in Dithmarschen geboren und studierte Kompositionslehre und Malerei in Wiesbaden.

Ausstellungen & Kunstmessen (Auswahl):

Die Künstlerin nahm an zahlreichen nationalen und internationalen Ausstellungen teil, u.a. in Deutschland, Frankreich und USA.

Der Künstler über sein Werk:

“Die traditionellen Maltechniken von Tempera über die klassische Ölmalerei bis hin zu modernen Darstellungen in Acryl und
Mischtechniken finden sich in den Werken von Annika Siebert vor allem wieder. Aber auch die Drucktechniken, Zeichnungen und die Fotografie sind wesentliche Bestandteile der Arbeit. Jedes Werk verlangt nach der passenden Technik und Mal-
methode, wird gespachtelt, gewischt oder gepinselt oder dient mit der Zusammenführung mehrerer Techniken und
Materialien als Spielwiese. In der Collage darf Siebert aus der Form gehen, klassische Seitenverhältnisse sprengen, den Goldenen Schnitt über die Wupper schicken und bohren, kleben, verbrennen, leimen, rosten lassen, Stabilitäten testen
und Materialen zusammenbringen, die ein eigenes Verhältnis miteinander eingehen, sich anlehnen, einnehmen oder abstoßen. Annika Siebert arbeitet in der Regel in Serien und überlässt hier nichts dem Zufall. Die Bildkomposition sowie eine strenge Sequenzierung der Bildelemente sind die wesentlichen Ausgangspunkte aller Werke und stellen sich einer neu entstehenden Serie voran”.

Victor Mikhailov

webmaster@galerie-makowski.com — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:53:20 +0000

Victor Mikhailov

Biographie:

Victor Mikhailov wurde 1988 in Sibirien geboren. Er hat an der Kunstakademie in Krosnoyark studiert mit dem Schwerpunkt in Bildhauerei.

Ausstellungen & Kunstmessen (Auswahl):

Zahlreiche Ausstellungen und Kunstmessen seit 2008 u.a in Miami, München und Österreich

Der Künstler über sein Werk:

“Durch jedes Werk spiegele ich einen Teil von mir wieder. Genau wie ein Schauspieler sich in seinen Charakter hinein versetzen muss, muss ich die Stärken und Schwächen meiner Werke versuchen einzuschätzen. Folglich wird die Skulptur lebendig und besitzt eine Seele”