Sebastian Heiner Visits Suffield

“I have painted for video recordings many times but never performed it like i did here for the students and faculty.”

Sebastian Heiner was born in Berlin, Germany in 1964 and studied at the Berlin University of the Arts from 1984 to 1991. His work combines colors and texture with the oil paint often protruding up to an inch from the canvas. He has worked in studios in Berlin, Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. Recent travels have taken Sebastian to Israel and Jordan. The roots of Sebastian’s work rest in figurative painting, but as his art has evolved he has explored abstraction and now includes action painting.

In addition to providing talks to art classes, Sebastian performed two demonstrations of his work for students. After 45 minutes of painting with his hands, forearms, bits of torn cardboard, and a broom, Sebastian invited his audience to discussions about his performance. “There is really no plan in my head when I begin each piece,” he noted. “Emotions and instinct steer the painting like a hunter through a dark forest. I am trying to find freedom inside myself and allow that to become the painting on canvas. I embrace the chaos in the beginning but later manipulate the colors to be more pleasing to the eye—a beautiful balance of form and control. I understand painting very much like traveling to foreign places. I must be vulnerable and remove myself from a comfort zone to allow the process of pure creation to express itself. It is also very important to stop the painting before I overwork it and ruin the inspiration.”

In terms of teaching and providing demonstrations, Sebastian is admittedly inexperienced. “I have painted for video recordings many times but never performed it like I did here for the students and faculty,” he commented. “This is a wonderful educational facility, and the students are very lucky to enjoy it. I am impressed by their interest in this type of art. They are all very intelligent and polite students who showed a lot of respect in welcoming me on campus. I really enjoyed my time here and will leave with a refreshed set of inspirations for my next projects. This was a rewarding experience, and I am grateful to Suffield for providing this opportunity.”

Learn more about Suffield Academy, visit www.suffieldacademy.org