Made by Gunther — Gunther Jancke, Intuitive Expressionism, East London artist

Artist Bio

Intuitive Expressionism by Gunther Jancke

I paint how I feel…

I started with abstract expressions about 16 years ago after a big artistic crisis. I simply couldn't decide what to paint and didn't know why either. Instead, I started to listen to myself, my own emotions and all the unresolved residue of my emotive universe. I developed my own style, and I am calling it "Intuitive Expressionism". I paint my deep inner reflections, personal passions, my desires, my sensitive feelings, worries and concerns. Sometimes people ask me about my technique, but this is secondary to me.

Sometimes I prefer painting with liquid colours, and I enjoy the aesthetics of dynamic shapes morphing into each other. Then I fully accept and embrace the element of random encounters. More often I work in layers, going back to the canvas, again and again and again. I go deeper and climb further into whatever emotion consumes me at the time. I am self-taught, despite attempts to go to university I never actually studied fine art. I work the canvas with all I have, brushes, palette knives, sometimes bare hands or straight from the paint bottle, often with the canvas on the floor.

My best work comes out when I completely stop thinking and stay with the true and raw feeling. The rest happens on the canvas. Abstract shapes, squirting splashes, meandering lines, scrapes, blots and streaks. Until something tells me to stop and finish. Some of my work is framed, others remain as the pure canvas, simple and powerful. They all remain sides of me that I carefully uncover.

Through that process I explore how I can find a healthy distance to some of those intense emotions. It's therapeutic and it's inner healing. As part of my coaching work, I offer art coaching sessions where I help others to tap into their emotions, capture them, release them.