Ootokoi / Robert Ekkel - How Do You Live?

In his 2025 work, the artist Ootokoi (Robert Ekkel) presents a fascinating symbiosis of meticulous precision and playful narration. The large-format work shows a sprawling, isometric landscape in which architecture, flora, and human miniatures are arranged in a seemingly weightless space.
The aesthetics of precision. Particularly notable is the artisanal origin of the artist: Ekkel's training as a decoration technician in a porcelain manufactory is palpable in every brushstroke. The discipline typical for porcelain painting — mastering fine lines and controlled color application — is transferred here onto the canvas. The houses with their distinctive red and blue roofs as well as the small figures possess a graphic clarity that recalls the perfection of artisanal decor.
Structure and space. Despite the abundance of detail, the painting does not feel overloaded. Ootokoi uses the bright, beige background of the canvas as the “negative space,” giving the individual elements room to breathe. This creates an almost meditative order. The isometric perspective withholds a central focus and, instead, forces the viewer into an exploratory role—the eye wanders as in a Wimmelbild from scene to scene, discovering sports fields, small gatherings, and everyday tasks.
The theme of the work reflects modern communal living. It abstracts the complexity of a settlement into an orderly, almost iconographic system. It is a homage to order in chaos and presents the world as a fragile, yet harmonious arrangement.