Heiko Muller is an artist based in Hamburg, Germany. His art production is a sort of exploration of “the dark goings-on behind the façade of nature“ taping the lines linking religious icon art, renaissance painting and comic culture. Muller is “particularly thrilled by the kind of spiritual terror you find expressed in the paintings of the old Flemish masters” appling that mood to the serene and harmless world of rural folk art.
Heiko, where do you get your inspiration?
In deer parks, forests and dunes when I explore nature and on Instagram and Flickr when I explore the internet.
Which is the reletioship and influence beetween your cultural backgorund (country, studies, etc.) and your artworks?
I prefer ideas which are based on personal experiences and as someone who never lived in another country my personal experiences are basically gained in Germany, but my cultural background is also influenced by international pop culture, which I don’t deny in my work.
What are you much focused in?
I’m focused on the things I love and as I love animals and nature so much you can find a lot of that in my work.
Have you encountered any difficulties when you first started your art/freelance career?
Not really. Actually when I started my art career I made my living with my little graphic design company. I made art without much pressure and enjoyed to watch my art career grow. Now I’m a full time artist.
Over these years, what is the most important thing you have learnt from your profession?
I hate to say it, but I actually learned that Rainer Maria Rilke is right.
Do you think that a creative job is just creativity or it’s discipline too?
That might depend on the grade of ingenuity of the artist. I’m not a genius, I’m more like a worker, so discipline is necessary.
Are you currently work on new projects?
Yes, right now I’m working on new paintings for a three artists show which will open in September here in my Hometown. The other two artists are Till Gerhard and Henning Kles. They are brilliant painters, so it is important that I will have some really good stuff finished until then.
Also I’m working on small steel sculptures together with one of my collectors. I’m really excited about this cooperation. I think we will release a small collectable item in a few months.
“I’m not a genius, I’m more like a worker,
so discipline is necessary“
“I made art without much pressure and enjoyed to watch my art career grow. Now I’m a full time artist”
“I am particularly thrilled by the kind of spiritual terror you find expressed in the paintings of the old Flemish masters, and I’m trying to find out what happens when you apply that mood to the serene and harmless world of rural folk art“
Artist Website >www.heikomueller.de
Instagram > @heikomullerart