Zeche – 1
| Edition | Original Art |
|---|---|
| Sujet | Abstract |
| Technique | Painting |
| Height | 60 cm |
| Width | 50 cm |
| Length/Depth | 2 cm |
One-off piece, exclusive original.
Material:, acrylic on canvas
Description:
This work was created in July 2019 following a visit to the Ruhr region – a former centre of the German coal mining industry. In this work, personal impressions meet an abstract visual language: the reduced colour palette, clear lines and textured surfaces are reminiscent of technical drawings, whilst at the same time the lines imbue the picture with a rhythmic pulse, almost like the heartbeats of a place that has long since fallen silent.
‘Zeche – 1’ combines elements of Chinese ink painting with geometric rigour. The structure of the painting is based on self-composed lines, whose density and direction create a distinct atmosphere through deliberate brushwork. Some lines resemble conveyor belts, others shafts – a network of paths, connections and memories.
In this work, the industrial space is abstracted – not as a cold machine, but as a setting for transformation, identity and transience. The restrained colour palette emphasises the gravity and gloom of the subject matter, whilst the open spaces within the composition simultaneously suggest vastness and uncertainty.
Concept & Features:
✔ Inspired by the Ruhr region – a personal exploration of Germany’s industrial heritage.
✔ A combination of geometry and emotion – technical forms as vessels for subjective memory.
✔ Echoes of Chinese aesthetics – line work, minimalism and the perception of space.
✔ The tension between past and present – industrial motifs reinterpreted.
Guoqiang Wu
Education:,
2016–2017 Academy of Arts (ASK) Berlin, Course: Fine Art – Painting,
2017–2021 Essen University of Fine Arts under Prof. Nicola Stäglich, Course:
Painting
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Printmaking Artist’s Statement :
My art springs from my innermost consciousness. Through my works, I wish to express my most primal thoughts and thereby make visible my existence as a thinking being in this world.
Over time, experiences, encounters and emotions accumulate, causing my works to reflect various moods. Yet despite all these changes, my fundamental way of thinking remains unchanged. During my early years at university, my works were often chaotic – to some, this may have appeared to be an unstructured or immature technique. Yet for me, it was a natural process of growth, an honest portrayal of life. Over time, my works became more minimalist, clearer and more three-dimensional. I did not consciously steer this development – it simply manifested itself in my art. This style continues to characterise my work to this day: clear geometry, strong colour contrasts and deliberate reduction. Large monochrome areas combined with fine lines or multiple blocks of colour create a sharp, almost cutting effect. This clarity and directness reflect my mindset at the time – no compromises, no detours.
Today, I yearn for purity, clarity and directness.
A defining theme in my art is my childhood. I grew up in a Chinese village whilst my parents worked in the city to make ends meet. My grandparents brought me up. The longing for my parents made me emotionally sensitive – I dreamt of seeing them again. This profound emotional experience has found its way into my works, for it is part of my most personal perception of reality.
Later, I worked in a warehouse in Germany for seven years – a long time during which I did not pick up a paintbrush. This phase was formative and difficult for me, yet it is part of my life. In early 2025, I consciously brought this chapter of my life to a close by handing in my notice. Perhaps this experience, too, will one day become a new artistic theme.
Whatever the theme, technique or material – I remain true to my original ideas. My art is not staged, but an honest reflection of the world from the perspective of an ordinary person.
Exhibitions:,
2019.
“Vor Ort” – Students and lecturers from the HBK Essen, Maschinenhalle in Dorsten,
2020.
9. Revierkunst, Zeche Ewald Herten.
HBK Essen 2020 School Scholarship Nomination
Other artworks by the artist
