Refugess no.1, 2023

Karl-Karol Chrobok  

Member of several artist associations in Germany; independent artist since 1985. 

Born 1960 in Tychy, Poland
1988 emigration to the Federal Republlc of Germany
State Lyceum of Art in Bielsko-Biala and Krakow, 1975–1980 Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, painting and
graphics Master graduate of Arts 1980–1985 

One-year scholarship by the Ministry of Culture of Warsaw, awarded at the Alexander Rak competition for
graphics, Katowice, 1986 first prize for fine arts rewarded during the “Kulturpreis-Ausstellung” (Culture Award
Exhibition) of Göttingen county, 1990 Award “Syrlin-Kunstpreis”(Syrlin Art Prize) competition for painting,
Stuttgart, participation in the exhibition of the 25 winning works, 1992 first prize rewarded by Kunstverein
Höchstadt-Aisch e.V., 1997 Participation at the international plenair “Waldinspirationen 3”, Goluchow/Poland,
2013
Regular exhibition activities in Germany and abroad with more than 100 solo exhibitions and participations in
group exhibitions 

Fear of color is to fear the world. I work rapidly, in oil, without a photo template, gladly directly out in the open as
well as in the studio. Layer by layer, old is painted over, erased in wide areas, parts leftat the edges.
I understand this approach as a re-enactment of growth and sometimes destruction. Painting is a struggle
with time, with productive time at the end of which color stands as a compound on my paintings.
Chrobok paints his work directly outside In the nature, regardless of weather conditions. 

Whether storm, snow
or sun – he is not a pure fair-weather painter – all weather conditions appeal to him and inspire him to capture
his impressions on canvas. In short time the movement of the trees in the wind, the whipping of the branches in
the stormor theplayof light and shadoware skillfully brought onto the canvas by the artist. 

Chrobok has perfected the fast brushwork.
In his paintings the painted objects do not fade or disappear in the distance. The depth of space is only created
by proportions. 

His fascination for color is decisive in his paintings. How far can one go as a painterto let the
color speak without leading it into abstraction? 

Chrobok has found the solution.

(Kirstin Schwarz / Museum for contemporary art Siegen, Extract of introductory speech at the museum Bad
Berleburg 2012)