Allan Paul II

Artwork: Destruction and New Beginnings

His story:

Born in Bielefeld, Allan Paul is a German painter known for his oil paintings. He works from his studio in Potsdam, not far from Berlin.

As a creative child, born and raised in an artistic family, he sketched shapes and figures that still play a significant role in his paintings today. He attended the Waldorf school, known for promoting artistic talent and expression. During his childhood, he experienced several traumatic situations that left deep impressions.

After school, he studied social work and professionally supported people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Deeply moved by their stories, Allan went through a profound personal crisis at the age of 35.

This crisis led him to art therapy, and suddenly, he reconnected with the emotional themes of his childhood through the language of painting. His artistic passion reignited, leading to several days-long painting marathons in a family house in Denmark.

He used painting to bring his past traumas to light. Allan's early works display dark, dramatic compositions, leaving no distance from their subjects.

At 45, his journey of confronting the past led him so deeply back into old traumas that he saw no way out and wanted to end his life. With support, he managed to enter a psychiatric clinic.

During his stay there, he learned to process his traumatic experiences without identifying with the pain. As a result, his art evolved, showcasing brighter colours and uplifting themes, reflecting the present. He reconnected with the signature shapes and figures that formed the foundation of his childhood art. It was an existential act of liberation that paved a new path in the artistic process. Allan often revisits and reinterprets older works in this renewed style today.