Christoph Niemann: Away

by Christoph Niemann (Contributor)

Berlin-based Christoph Niemann (born 1970) simply can’t resist traveling. Luckily for us, he’s not just a standard globetrotter but an artist who masterfully captures his surroundings, wherever they may be, in his characteristically vibrant brush and ink drawings. “As an artist,” he says, “I’m conscious of the limitations that come from seeing the world through a Western lens. That’s why I like to travel: because traveling requires―and inspires―a shift in perspective.” And so, in Away, we accompany him on journeys to all the destinations our wanderlust might desire, be they picturesque towns, bustling cities or sublime nature: from the elegant Tuileries of Paris to the dramatic Arctic forms of the Svalbard archipelago, from Angkor Wat to São Paulo and Venice and beyond. The drawings are quietly enchanting snapshots of the world around us, transporting the viewer to wherever Niemann picked up his brush. Stripped down and restrained, in vibrant colors, they awaken in the viewer the desire for travel and adventure.