Ralph Kretschmar

Growing up, I imagined a world beyond the Berlin Wall. Now, it is a surreal utopia where we become stories of the past.

10/09/2026

Painting my thoughts into the universe. Fly away. I want to breathe. I’m safe now.

I used oil colors. And a brush. 🌸

Available.

13/08/2026

Use what you have. I have a door. From overseas. It travelled so far. And now I can feel its story with a brush. That’s how I see it. I need mediums to paint on. So I use it. Can you hear it? Now I have to adapt the way of painting on it so I can still see the structure in the end. In the beginning I’ve used a transparent primer. To protect the door for it’s future ahead. And now I’m closing in with the oils. Not too thick. Let’s see. Music.

06/08/2026

🍃 Post-crisis. Post-downfall. Post-everything. There has to be a new us. A new me. A new everything. Everyone.

Annäherung. / drawing near. (2026)
Oil on 230g Hahnemühle paper
30 × 40 cm / 11.8 × 15.7 in

✨ Available for now.

More works, visit website.

05/08/2026

🍃❤️ It is faith. It is God. It is the vision of a renewed humanity.

Die Wiedergeburt / the rebirth (2022)

Öl auf Leinwand, oil on canvas / 91,4 cm x 121,9 cm / 36″ x 48″

Johannesburg Collection.

✨ Available

More works, visit website.

31/07/2026

And the sounds of growing up. Hiding from reality. Closed eyes. In the search of.

Aufwachsen. / to grow up.
Oil on 230g Hahnemühle paper
30 × 40 cm / 11.8 × 15.7 in

29/07/2026

Some years ago I watched a group of bees 🐝 in the garden of my Johannesburg atelier. I was thinking about “The History of Bees” by Maja Lunde.
The more I thought, while observing how they jump from flower to flower, the sadder I became. We humans don’t do much to protect these little but important life forms.
Those thoughts went into this woodcut.
It is a memory by one of my figures, telling the story of the last bees. The last pollen. From a long-forgotten time.
I’m very happy with this work. I hope it reflects the importance of protecting them. Or at least makes us stop for a moment and think about it.

Der Traum von den letzten Pollen 1/4 (2022)
the dream of the last pollen

woodcut, oil on paper, hand printed edition of 4

Size Paper: 64,5 cm x 50 cm, 25″ x 19,7″  Size Print: 34 cm x 28,5 cm / 13,4″ x 11,2″

✨ Available

More works, visit website.

24/07/2026

Many times, being overwhelmed, exhausted, painting is always a way to calm anxieties, my fears and what ever “nonsense” my head produces… and for that to achieve, I start to work more impulsively than usual, driven by let’s say angry, exhausted, sad, scared and weird and also happy, enthusiastic energies I try to let go of or attract more of. Being in the moment, surfing. No thinking about compositions or outcomes, being radical with techniques and “rules”, trusting what I’ve learned over the years. Even closing my eyes. I just follow a breathing. Try different approaches. Throw a tantrum. Play by ear. It’s nice to have no expectations, just feeling relieved - and working on paper - (though high quality, because when magic happens you don’t want to have bad quality paper or any bad medium really) - helps with the unwanted, self inflicted expectation of “having a really good artwork in the end” ugh… because paper, it’s not as expensive, demanding or unique as a e.g. canvas of linen or a wooden door, which only exists once…

Anyway, I’m happy what happened today, and also I’m more relaxed than before. Où est le café! Have a good weekend!

How would you title this work?

🍃 Öl auf 230g Papier/Hahnemühle / oil on 230g paper/hahnemuehle +++ 30 cm x 40 cm / 11,8″ x 15,7″ +++

+ Available + for sale. More works, visit website.

30/03/2026

Blume bei Morgendämmerung 2/2 (2022)
flower at dawn

Öl auf Holz, Edition von 2
oil on wood, edition of 2

65 cm x 49 cm / 25,6″ x 19,3″

09/03/2026

🗺️ Weltanschauung. (2022) Öl auf Leinwand.
worldview. oil on canvas.

77 cm x 53 cm / 30,3″ x 20,9″

06/03/2026

Blume bei Nacht 1/2. Edition von Zwei. Öl auf Holz.
flower at night 1/2. edition of two. oil on wood

65 cm x 49 cm / 25,6″ x 19,3″

Address

16 Viljoen Street
Johannesburg Central
2094

Website

http://www.ralphkretschmar.com/

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