Written by the Artist:"I was born and grew up in East Germany, lived in London throughout most of the nineties, and moved to the United States in 1998, where at first I lived and worked in New York City. During a short visit to New Orleans in 2000 I fell in love with the city and decided to relocate permanently, adopting New Orleans as my home. I have a background in linguistics, decorative design, education and art, and have studied in Germany (spending most of my college years in Potsdam), Russia (two semesters of college in Rostov-on-Don), London, San Diego and New Orleans. I have been living and working in New Orleans since 2000. I am a classically trained artist, working within traditions of realism and applying time-honored oil painting techniques. My work grows out of the traditional still life genre, while commonly incorporating surreal elements and exploring the world of illusion and physical impossibilities. Much of it offers playful insights into my own philosophical and psychological journey. Perhaps most importantly I have fun painting and tend to be happiest with the finished piece when I feel that it expresses this sense of fun."