Oliver Plehn - The Look II

The Look II was executed with charcoal and oil paint on a canvas measuring 55cm x 46cm in the year 2017. Signed by a black label at the lower left. Comes with a certificate of authenticity, immaculate condition. The work is shipped rolled inside a tube.

MIRRORS OF THE SELF: PORTRAITS OF FRAGILITY AND STRENGTH
By Antonio Sánchez. Director and curator of 1819 Art Gallery
The collection we are considering is an emotional compendium of works that explore the depth of the human condition through portraits and figures laden with symbolism. These pieces weave together with a visual narrative that unfolds a palette of subtle and often somber colors, evoking introspective and contemplative moods. Technical prowess reveals not only mastery of the medium but also an intense emotional connection between the artist and their subjects, each bearing a silent yet palpable story.
The textures and techniques used range from softly blurred to aggressively marked, reflecting the diversity of human emotions and the complexity of our experiences. The strokes, whether firm or trembling, along with the play of light and shadow, build an atmosphere that transcends the visual to touch the viewer’s soul.
The work oscillates between literal representation and abstraction, allowing the viewer’s mind to fill in the gaps, inviting a deeper engagement. The intentional use of discordant or unexpected elements, such as a knife piercing the face of a figure, challenges our perceptions and provokes an introspective reflection on what it means to be human in times of emotional and social turmoil.
The collection as a whole serves as a mirror of the fragility and strength inherent in the human spirit. Each piece, while unique in its expression, contributes to a broader dialogue about resilience and vulnerability. The choice of subjects, from human figures to representations of animals, each imbued with deep emotivity, amplifies this dialogue, suggesting a universality in our emotional experiences.
This set of works, beyond simply being an exhibition of technical skill, stands as a testament to the power of art to move, connect, and question. The collection not only captures the aesthetic beauty of its subjects but also acts as a catalyst for personal and collective exploration of deep and often contradictory emotions. In doing so, these works invite viewers to confront the unknown within themselves and in the world around them, offering space for recognition and catharsis.

Artist Biography – Oliver Plehn
The work of the German painter and draftsman Oliver Plehn is characterized by expressive representations of the human and animal form. Faces and bodies are at the center of his artistic universe: powerful, sensitive, and deeply psychological. From a young age, the imagery of German Expressionists influenced him, whose emotional immediacy and formal freedom remain a reference in his artistic language to this day.
From a young age, Plehn decided to become an artist and maintain his creative independence. In addition to studying painting and drawing in art schools, he studied natural sciences, which gave him professional independence and artistic freedom. In the early 1990s, a fellowship in the field of quantum mechanics led him to Madrid.
Oliver Plehn lives with his wife and two daughters in the Madrid district of Carabanchel Alto.
Artistic Statement
My work arises from the impulse to understand human existence in its deepest and most contradictory interior. Throughout my career, I have explored portraiture as a means to reveal not only what is visible but also what is hidden: repressed emotions, scars of the soul, gestures of silent resistance. I paint from fragility, from that liminal space where pain and beauty coexist without permission.
I am not interested in capturing perfect faces, but presence, that which speaks of what remains unsaid. I am drawn to silences, glances that carry stories, bodies that vibrate with lived experience. Each work is, for me, an attempt at dialogue with the unknown, that inner territory we often try to escape.
My goal as an artist is to create images that are not only observed but questioned by the viewer. I want them to act as mirrors in which one can find something of oneself, even in discomfort or unease. I work in a figurative manner, yes, but I seek in it the openness to mystery, to doubt, to the emotion that cannot be put into words.
I feel that art has the power to heal, to reveal, and to accompany. In this sense, my practice is also a form of care: for myself, and for all those who approach these images with an open heart.
Exhibitions
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Online presence on Artsy
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Online presence on Flecha.es
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Online presence on 1819 Art Gallery
•“Aqua versus Terra,” September 1–30, 2025, Madrid
•“Madrid Hidden,” June 1–July 15, 2025, Madrid
•“The Gods of Muay Thai and a Strange One,” December 1, 2022 – January 6, 2023, Madrid
•Exhibition at Yale Graduate School of Art, March 2021
•Solo exhibition at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport “Faces of the World,” December 30, 2019 – February 7, 2020
•Solo exhibition “The Passion of the Christ” at Friedenskirche German church, Calle Serrano 6, Madrid
•Exhibition at United Artist Fair 2019 at Casa de Cantabria, Madrid, February 2019
•Painting exhibition on Calle Serrano, Madrid, December 2018 – February 2019
•Solo painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, November 2018
•Painting exhibition in Madrid, Spain, Calle Serrano, November 2016 – January 2017