Jean-pierre Kunkel

Jean-Pierre Kunkel is among the most renowned illustrators and commercial artists in Germany. Over the course of his artistic career, he has dedicated himself to widely varied means of creative expression including watercolor, oil paints, airbrush, photography, and digital image manipulation. His series of works Photorealism is a one-of-a-kind symbiosis of these abilities.

Every step of the process is prepared meticulously. The exact precision and overwhelming liveliness in his photorealistic works are a testament to the long creative process, which begins with the concept for the photographic images and the search for the perfect models. Then Kunkel can capture his vision with an elaborate underwater photo shoot. Then, the artist sifts through the digital photographs and isolates individual elements, in order to put them together anew. In this way, Kunkel creates harmonious, cohesive pieces with perfect composition.

In the next step, Jean-Pierre Kunkel transfers his creation into oils on canvas. “To me, it is not about competing with the precision of a camera lens,” Kunkel says. “I am far more interested in the possibilities that arise. I can make the reality of a photo have an entirely different impact.” He works with the intensity of colors, reflections of light, and surface textures to create a new reality. “Through painting, I can intensify the uniqueness of the moments captured with my camera, and I can adapt them to my own ideals.”