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A brush with celebrated German artist

ABU DHABI - A unique, modernistic art exhibition, featuring the creations of celebrated German artist Ingolf Kuhn, was opened at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation's Main Hall on Sunday evening by Shaikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, `The Rainbow Shaikh', who is also the patron of the event.

The exhibition, which will continue till January 8, showcases the artist's revolutionary and effective use of the airbrush technique, where he uses a blending of paints, layer upon layer to create an overall 'marbled' colour collage.

Speaking to Khaleej Times at the opening, Shaikh Hamad said: "Ingolf Kuhn is a personal friend, and I am delighted to see this exhibition in Abu Dhabi. We are grateful to the President, His Highness Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who has an interest in so many things, for having encouraged such close co-operation between Germany and the UAE, in fields outside of trade and commerce, this exhibition is a reflection of our (the two nations') friendship."

Mr Kuhn has brushed some intriguing shapes and Oriental motifs on several of The Rainbow Shaikh's unusual vehicles. On display, as an example of his work at the exhibition, was the bonnet of a luxury limousine of Daimler Benz, with the portrait of the President Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and an inlay of the old, as well as the modern Abu Dhabi. Also transported all the way from Germany for the event, were three of the famous cars that had catapulted him into artistic fame, including the Rainforest vehicle and the Pets car, which had caught the media's fascination.

He has also used the airbrush to portray Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Franz Beckenbauer, Steffen Blochwitz, Michael Schumacher, and other legends, on a commission basis. Other direct orders have come from companies like Volkswagen, Grundig, Addidas, R + V Insurance, Deutsche Telekom etc.

"I am a very emotional person, and I have always believed that my art should reflect emotions of life, I have also travelled extensively, and tried to interpret my impressions through my art," Mr Kuhn said.

The paintings are a composite maze of colours, some dark and foreboding, while the others are brilliant droppings of pigments, gigantic splotches of hope, psychedelic abstractions that defy interpretation.

He noted that while he does use photography and paintings on vehicles as alternative artistic techniques, it is his abstract expressionism that is his unique identity, and something he is working with. He uses lacquer and acrylic, as well as paints used for automobiles to execute his purpose.

"It has been my dream to hold this exhibition in Abu Dhabi, and I have worked nearly nine months for it. I hope we can take this exhibition around the emirates, to which I am no stranger, and also later around the world," the artist said.

Among the things he would like to do in the future, the artist said, are teaching his style of art to the younger generation, if there is a demand.

He also did not rule out the possibility of coming back to the UAE for a brief artistic sojourn, to teach painting at the Art Workshop of the Cultural Foundation.