Dan Hepperle, a contemporary German painter, immerses himself in the seclusion of a village in the Eifel. There, he utilizes the predominant color of white, imbuing his works with a sense of tranquility, concentration, and timelessness. He delves into the subject of light, transcending the physical to explore the metaphysical, infusing his paintings with infinite variations in mood and atmosphere.
Space emerges as another theme in Hepperle’s body of work, expressed through lines that playfully dance or stand rigid and straight. His paintings burst with life yet exude a profound sense of serenity, revealing much while seemingly showing little. Since 1994, Hepperle has been a fixture in numerous exhibitions and fairs in Germany and the Netherlands, with his works finding a place in private collections and public spaces, including banks and businesses.
Born in 1956, Hepperle draws inspiration from Zen philosophy, evident in his mastery of the shakuhachi flute and his compositions of haiku poems. Inner silence forms the core of his art, made tangible by his paintings that reflect the stillness found in musical compositions. Light and space serve as complementary motifs, mirrored in his choice of colors. White, the purest manifestation of light, alludes to the non-physical and metaphysical realms that Hepperle seeks to explore.
In his artistic process, Hepperle meticulously applies layers of oil paint, starting with a dark surface and gradually adding more white. Each layer contributes to a complex interplay of tones, with subtle differences discernible to the discerning eye. He experiments with overlaps and layering, sometimes using drawing or plastering techniques, until a subtly modulated surface texture emerges.
www.ftn-books.com has the Hepperle Rheinbraun publication from 2000 now available.
