Interview with Alexandros Reichenbach

Alexandros Reichenbach was born in Aschaffenburg (Germany) on 21.02.1998. He grew up billingual, as his parents were German (Father) and Greek (Mother). By the age of two (2000), he moved with his parents to Thessaloniki (Greece). There he attended a german kindergarden and afterwards a greek elementary school.
By the age of six, he was embraced to learn the violin and got accepted at the state conservatoire of Thessaloniki as an early talent. By the age of eight he also got accepted as an alto singer in the choir of the holy trinity, where he got taught and learned the Kodaly method.
By the age of 12 (2010) his family moved back to Germany (Wuppertal). There he attended the catholic gymnasium and lyceum of holy Ann. Besides his activities as an administrative representative of his class and tutoring in the subject of mathematics and Greek language, he started learning the trumped. By the age of fifteen, he started studying church organ achieving to preform in public the Passacaglia in c-minor (BWV 582) by J.S.Bach. By the age of 19 he graduated and started to prepare for the entrance examinations at the Cologne University of Music in piano.
By the age of 21 he stopped chasing a professional music career and enrolled at the school of law (University of Cologne), which he still pursues.
In October 2020 he got sick with the corona-virus, which affected his heart in a way, that he could not do anything than stay at home for 10 months. In that period he started to teach himself drawing. He quickly became better, and as a result, in March 2021 he got nominated for the International London Art Biennale 2021, with a portrait he drew, that also got sold during the exhibition. In June 2021 he held a solo exhibition showing his works at the “Herriger Residence” in Solingen Germany.
Currently he is working on an project of his in Oil.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

I think I am a very quiet and simple person. I usually don’t feel the need to talk a lot or be in the middle of attention. I always considered myself as an observer who learns more if he listens and watches carefully what happens around him. I would in fact describe myself as the opposite of a paradise bird. I actually don’t know how to describe my work; I don’t think I am the right person to describe my artwork either. I just can tell that for me, every one of my work is a story. I also know, that my artwork is pure and honest and not very ripe or sophisticated. Besides that, I prefer to leave interpretations and descriptions of each story I paint or draw to the observer. 

How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

It depends on the kind of work I do. I divide into two groups. The one is when I paint something I see, a portrait for example. Then I just jump into it and start right away. I only rarely do sketches or anything similar. The other is when I paint something out of pure imagination, a scene for example or a mask of a nonexistent person. There I usually do sketches, in order to be able to paint the things I imagine, exactly as I envision them.  

When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?

For me it is always the night. In the night I find it easier to paint or draw because there is nothing to disturb me.  As I said earlier, I am a very quiet person, so it can only be logical, that I function best, when the environment around me is also quiet. Regarding the day of the week I don’t have any preferation. If I am in the mood to paint or draw, any day does the job. 

What is a barrier you as an artist overcame? Is there anything that enabled you to develop your work as an artist in your life?

I think I had to overcome my shyness. It is still unusual for me to show or exhibit something. It is very difficult for me to be “the artist” and have all the attention at an event. Of course I see that I have to do it, so I suck it up. Since I believe that everyone is in constant development due to the fact that we live in a society and therefore in constant exchange  with each other, I don’t think that “something” has enabled me as an artist. I admit though, that there are a lot of things inspired me, mostly common everyday stuff (a person I saw on the street or the colors in the evening sky for example).

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?

No. I started just out of curiosity. I simply wanted to see if I could draw. Later I understood, that through drawing, I was trying to capture something words can not describe. I mean those subtle details in a humans face for example, that tell us much more about its story and past, that a small talk. Now, I think I’m creating stories. 

The only thing I always had as a goal drawing or painting (and still have) was to create something that captures you when you look at it. 

What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work? We’re curious what the narrative or story is to what you are producing?

To answer that, I first need to tell you, what is the most intriguing thing for me to draw and then explain. As the most intriguing thing for me to draw is the human face, and I am always thinking about the reason, why I feel that way, I noticed that for me the human face is like a treasure map. A treasure map leading not to gold or gems but to a story of a human being and a deeper understanding of the persons spirit. It’s a great pleasure for me to catch that story with my pencil or my brush so others can also do the “treasure hunt” I liked. It is not there though, that my pleasure expires, because sometimes I enrich the “maps” I draw with some extra details or some non-existent features. This is challenging, because the utter importance for me lies within keeping the person as it is and not changing those part of her/his, that are vital for her/his general recognition. I simply try to amplify, what a face is telling me and by that imply my interpretation of a human, to those who look at my Portrait. In the end, I think I am like a tour guide for persons and their stories, if that makes any sense.

Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

Yes! Of huge importance for me is a “counterweight” to my artistic side in order to be balanced as a person. In my case this counterweight are my Law studies. I find it extremely useful, because my “lawyer-me” controls my “art-me” and vice versa. Besides that, I don’t need much to be happy and joyful (there is not much time left for other stuff either with those two subjects so I’m happy and fulfilled…).

Are there any exhibitions or places where people can see these beautiful creations in person soon? Anything on the horizon?

No, I don’t plan this kind of stuff. If there is an opportunity for me, I am just happy to grab it. When I’m having an exhibition though, I always post it on my Instagram-account (https://www.instagram.com/alexr.drawinggallery/).

https://alexandrosreichenbachgallerycom.webnode.com