Is success possible without failure? Maybe. But I’d say the chances are about 0.000001%. Still, in most societies, failure is seen as a flaw – something negative.

But life tells a different story:
Most success is the result of countless attempts, mixed with randomness. That’s how we humans evolved. That’s how Edison invented the light bulb. Ask any entrepreneur. Ask any artist. Failure and success are like two sides of the same coin – the coin of life. Usually, we try to hide our failures and only show our successes. So I decided to do the opposite. I worked on this painting for days. I had a clear vision in my mind – but it just didn’t work out. I kept adding paint, time, and effort (hello, sunk cost fallacy!), But I couldn’t create the harmony I was aiming for. I even thought about throwing it away. But maybe it still has value – By learning to accept it, and more than that: By showing it.

As a reminder that failure is a natural, essential part of being human.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 100 x 70 cm | 39.37 x 27.56 inches

Our current understanding of science — and the beauty of science is that it’s always open to revision — tells us this: Every thought and image in our mind is the result of electrochemical processes. Tiny sparks of light, flashing in complete darkness. But even this idea... is just another image. Another tiny spark.

The real question is:
Who is seeing these images?
But be careful — this question cannot be answered with another thought, or another image.
The answer lies beyond the duality of the observed and the observer - beyond thinking.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 29,7 x 42,0 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 inches

Our mind loves to categorize – it’s easy and energy-saving. We separate good from bad, self from others, the inner world from the outer one... But in truth, these are just two sides of the same coin. When we take a closer look at even the smallest part of reality, we begin to see:

Everything is deeply connected and constantly changing through each other. Art has the power to bring together what seems separate – to unify opposites. But even that idea has two sides: art and not-art. And yet, art can also point beyond itself – To a place where duality disappears. Where there are no more sides. Just pure, beautiful emptiness.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches (each side)

The rectangle or brick is probably the best symbol of structure. We love boxes, rectangles, straight lines, and order.

We like to believe that our structures are independent units, built to last forever. But we often forget that these very structures are the result of endless changes, shifts, and new creations.

So, the true nature of structure — contrary to how we often see it — is impermanence.

We should be careful with our expectations and actions. Most importantly, we should be grateful for the good things and not let the bad ones overwhelm us. Because in the end, everything crumbles with time.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas
Size (W x H): 80 x 100 cm | 31.50 x 39.37 inches

Do you know that feeling? Suddenly, everything seems to fall perfectly into place. Doubt, fear, excitement — and all those restless thoughts — simply vanish. In that brief moment, we catch a glimpse of what true happiness — a beautiful emptiness — feels like.

But these moments tend to slip away as quickly as they arrive. Before we know it, we're back to simply reacting to the "outer" world.
So, what can we do? Trying to hold on to that feeling rarely works — in fact, the very act of grasping for it is often what makes it disappear.

What does help, however, is remembering that such moments exist. This simple awareness can ignite a quiet motivation — one that inspires us to train (and keep training) our minds, much like a runner trains their legs.
Helpful reminders can come in many forms: a pre-set alarm, a mindfulness app, or surrounding ourselves with inspiring art.
And with a little luck — and (a lot of) practice — those fleeting glimpses of happiness may one day become our natural state (which, in truth, it already is) — interrupted only briefly by passing thoughts.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 29,7 x 42,0 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 inches

All things are impermanent. Buddhists say that our suffering arises from ignoring this truth and becoming attached to things and ideas.

As we slowly realize that neither subject nor object holds a permanent structure, we catch a glimpse of life itself—an endless flow of change and interaction, a constant coming and going.

Finding the unchanging within this ever-shifting reality is the path to liberation.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 100 x 70 cm | 39.37 x 27.56 inches

"What if the world exists only in your mind?"
And if that's true…
what does it mean for you?
Right now, there’s no scientific proof that the world — as we know it — exists outside of our consciousness.
Everything we see, hear, feel…
is just electric signals in the brain —
floating in complete darkness.

But here’s the real question:
If the world lives inside of us…
shouldn’t we treat it with the greatest care?
Because it doesn’t get more personal than that.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

If you are lucky enough to encounter such a feeling, the greatest thing you can do (that can happen to you) is let it grow. Let it take root within you. Nurture it, expand it—first to those closest to you, then to others, then to all beings.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 29,7 x 42,0 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 inches

On a very fundamental level, life is about transferring information.
This information interacts, competes, forms clusters, excludes other information, and processes itself.
You might say: "Stop, but there is me."
Looking closely, this me is also just a bundle of information—both genetic and learned.
But is there a fundamental existence, an information-free element on which all information is processed?
Probably, that’s just another information-based idea.
So, skip all information—and „see“ what’s there.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Our perception of reality is like the layers of a painting.

The most superficial layer is our immediate reaction to whatever confronts us—like the way a pond ripples when a stone is thrown into it.

At a certain point, we start thinking without even realizing it. We simply find ourselves thinking, I have to send this email, or I need to finish this task.

If we dig a layer deeper, we become aware of the thinking process itself. We start to reflect on our thoughts and ask, Why am I thinking this? Where does this thought come from?

If we go even further and ask, Who is the one that is able to watch the thinking process?, we begin to approach a very deep layer of reality, moments when thinking stops completely.

But don’t forget: This very differentiation of layers is a construct of thought itself. Find the beautiful emptiness beyond.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

We often think of life as something complete, finished, or self-contained. But this perspective only applies when we focus on my life—our individual, personal experience. It’s similar to how Newtonian laws only hold true within specific conditions and frameworks.
When we step away from this personal viewpoint and look at life on a broader scale, we realize that there is no isolated life. Instead, it’s more of a transition of states. The concept of “me” begins to dissolve.
If we expand our perspective even further, we’re led to ask: what is the true origin of life? From this vantage point, it becomes clear that the “me” doesn’t exist.
Ultimately, all of these are mental concepts.
To truly discover who we are, we need to let go of all concepts entirely.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 100 x 70 cm | 39.37 x 27.56 inches

One stroke of color can change the entire balance of a painting. It can either make it great or ruin it (which I’ll leave for you to decide). It’s always a fine line we walk.
Should I add one more stroke, or play it safe? My opinion: always let your courage guide you and don’t finish until it feels right. And when I’m unsure, I wait. I have several paintings standing in my room, still giving me question marks about what to do next. We often feel the need to act—or even overact—because, in our modern world, waiting and silence are often excluded from the process.
So, one could say that in today's world, the act of waiting, inaction, and doing (really) nothing is, in itself, an act of courage. And perhaps, this approach would be beneficial for achieving balance. But in the end, balance will find its way anyway. We’ll see if we are still part of the equation.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

We often think we are the ones organizing the world we live in. A great example, in my opinion, is how we organize human coexistence in suburbs. It’s hard to find an environment that feels more man-made than a suburb.
But when we look closely, we start to see that we, the so-called organizers, are shaped by the world itself—through our genes and external experiences. In this sense, the world seems to organize itself. What appear to be highly ordered structures are often just fragile bubbles, helping us make sense of a complexity we cannot truly understand.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes purity, growing unstained from the mud. It represents the personal journey of those who seek truth.
The textile industry sees it differently—primarily as a water-repellent membrane to be copied, applied to clothing, and turned into profit. Someone admiring a lotus sees only the beauty of its flowers. Local lotus collectors see a source of livelihood.
It is always a matter of perspective, context, and expectation. The boundaries between these views begin to blur. What is a lotus? It is something different for everyone, shaped by the image we create in our minds. There, it exists in the form we give it. It is a thought that arises and fades. And like all things, its fundamental existence remains beyond grasp.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

We often think we are the ones organizing the world we live in. A great example, in my opinion, is how we organize human coexistence in suburbs. It’s hard to find an environment that feels more man-made than a suburb.
But when we look closely, we start to see that we, the so-called organizers, are shaped by the world itself—through our genes and external experiences. In this sense, the world seems to organize itself. What appear to be highly ordered structures are often just fragile bubbles, helping us make sense of a complexity we cannot truly understand.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

The goal of many meditation practices is to let go of all thoughts on the path to enlightenment.
But one must be cautious. There comes a point where the thoughts you aim to release are replaced by pleasant feelings or positive thoughts—for example, imagining a beautiful light.
However, this light is just an image, a thought in itself. It still exists on the level of the mind.
What lies beyond this light? To be continued next week...

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.7 x 27.6 inches

As the light is a thought, an imagination itself, we have to go beyond the light in order to see the fundamentals of reality. As long as we try to “see” with our thoughts, it is just one thought observing another. So, from my experience, we have to ask: Who is it that sees the light? By practicing this inquiry, all thoughts tend to fade away into a beautiful emptiness.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.7 x 27.6 inches

Reaching for the sky once again.
Do you know that feeling of looking up at the stars and being overwhelmed by the sheer imagination of endless space above you?
We feel like a tiny dot, and our perspective shifts as we imagine ourselves standing within this vastness.
We can take it one step further and ask ourselves: Who is seeing us standing there? Who is seeing the vastness?
Curiously, all these pictures are just thoughts, rising and disappearing from emptiness.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.7 x 27.6 inches

In life, we often find ourselves playing different roles—shifting and adapting to fit our environment or meet the expectations placed upon us. These changes can happen within minutes, like a business leader stepping into the role of a parent at home, or they can unfold over days, months, or even years.
But how often do we feel dissatisfied with one role or another? What do we do when that happens? Instead of looking deeply for the true source of our unhappiness—or happiness—we instinctively believe that switching roles will solve the problem. "I’ll be happy when…," or "If only I could…" becomes our inner dialogue.
This isn’t our fault. We are conditioned to think this way: "Once you achieve X, you’ll be happy." "When you have enough money, you’ll be happy." ...
Yet, what happens when we do change roles? More often than not, we fall back into familiar patterns, and the cycle repeats—until we seek another change.
The real question is not what role to change, but who is the one wanting to change?
Who is playing all these roles?
Discover that, and everything changes.

Year: 2025
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

What happens to us if a superior intelligence emerges?
What will culture look like when all creativity is driven by AI?
These are just a few of the questions we are asking right now. But in my view, one of the most important questions is: What will control our minds? What will guide our thoughts and shape our world?
If we aren’t aware of what’s happening in our minds right now, we might never regain that awareness once AI further spreads, steering our thoughts in any direction it chooses.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

What are the chances of you existing? Almost zero.
An endless chain of randomness has brought you here, reading this text. We are but fleeting arrangements in the vastness of infinity, yet we see ourselves as fixed, unchanging entities.
The fundamental question is: What is the constant underlying the ever-changing composition of things and beings?
Since thoughts themselves are just random formations, thinking alone may not lead us to the answer. We can only catch a glimpse of it when the curtain of thoughts parts, revealing what lies beyond.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas
Size (W x H): 40 x 50 cm | 15.7 x 19.7 inches

While painting this piece, I suddenly thought: Stop. This is it—at least for me. Even though I had different plans at first, this felt like the end.
Life often works the same way. Sometimes, you reach your planned destination sooner than expected, halfway there, or perhaps not at all. Even if the journey feels difficult at one point, the next moment might surprise you with something wonderful. We can never truly know where we are on our path. All we can do is start and try to accept whatever comes—moving past both the unpleasant and the pleasant feelings.
In the end, we might come to realize that the journey, the destination, the progress, and the setbacks are all just mental concepts. By practicing and reminding ourselves to let go of these ideas, we may finally see that the true destination has always been here, no matter whether we’re at the start, halfway, or at the end.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.7 x 27.6 inches

I feel miserable. I feel great. I feel sad. I feel...
We are constantly swayed by these feelings, often fleeing from the negative ones and desiring the positive ones—which can ironically make us feel even worse. So often, we create a divide between what is and what should be.
Some philosophical traditions address this dilemma by asking a single question: “Who am I?” At first, we might respond dismissively, “What a strange question. I am this, I am that, and so on…” But by examining this question closely, we begin to see that there is no concrete, permanent “I” to be found. It’s simply a bundle of thoughts. And without an “I,” who is there to feel miserable, great, sad, and so on?

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.7 x 27.6 inches

We see things, beings, and ourselves as constant. But in truth, the fundamental law of our world is transience.
This creates constant inner conflict. We long for something unchanging to hold on to. We waste our time as if it were endless. We cling to things, which leads to unhappiness, restlessness, and dissatisfaction.
Buddhists practice peeling away all layers of the transient. The leaves on a tree: transient. The sun: transient. The body: transient. Even our thoughts and ideas are transient.
Through this practice, they seek a glimpse of the very source—something unchanging, beyond all transience. Call it whatever you like, though any name is itself just a fleeting thought.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.7 x 27.6 inches

Most of the time, we live within a very superficial layer of perception. It’s based on what we notice with our senses. We categorize and react according to our past experiences and genetic tendencies. We tend to see things that fit familiar patterns.

Then, there’s a layer of reflection. We think about what we see, what we feel, and about the world around us.

With some practice, we start to notice ourselves thinking about the world, and a question arises: Who is the thinker? We realize that one thought can "see" another thought.

With even more practice, we become aware of our own awareness. From time to time, we manage to rest in pure consciousness.

And with enough luck, and continued practice, we may remain in that state of pure consciousness—what we truly are, only covered by the layers of perception described before..

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Sometimes we are told that we need to empty ourselves first so that something new can be filled in. But I believe it’s more about changing our thinking habits to more beneficial ones in the first place. These new habits can help us clear our mind and gradually stop thinking. In the end, it’s about emptying, with nothing new to be filled or added. Even the concept of emptying, which is just a thought, should be let go of. In the end, no more thoughts are caught in the mind, like water flowing through an empty bowl.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 100 x 70 cm | 39.37 x 27.56 inches

If we look closely, clusters form everywhere. Interest clusters grow around certain topics, attracting more and more attention to them—whether it's a person, an idea, or a concept we've created. We are constantly scanning our environment for information that confirms and strengthens these clusters. In mindfulness and meditation, we learn to create new, beneficial clusters and keep nurturing them. In the end, a cluster is just a cluster, and the final cluster should form around letting go of all clusters.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 100 x 70 cm | 39.37 x 27.56 inches

We are filled with concepts and preformed opinions. This is how our brain conserves energy and organizes phenomena in a way that makes sense to us. But when we let go of all concepts and allow phenomena and thoughts to be just what they are—simply phenomena and thoughts—we stop attaching meaning to them. As a result, they lose their power.

Training this is difficult. In painting, I always keep one empty canvas or piece of paper next to the artwork I’m actually working on. For this extra canvas, there are no plans, rules, goals, or concepts—not even the idea of painting without a concept. Sometimes they remain empty, and other times they fill with color.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Just one more time. Just one more project. Just one more year....

This is how we often plan our lives. And then? Then we think we’ll be happy. At least, that's what we believe. So, we keep chasing happiness, like we're holding a carrot on a stick in front of us, always trying to catch it. But this approach rarely works. Most of the time, happiness isn't the result, but the starting point of our success.

So, based on that, the first step would be to reflect on happiness—what it is and how we can achieve it. Where to begin? Just start. Now.

Year: 2024
Technique: Fine art print on Canson Rag Photographique mounted on an Alu-Dibond panel with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 40 x 50 cm | 15.75 x 19.69 inches

Buddhists say that all suffering stems from duality – and that true happiness can only be found by transcending it. But what does this really mean?

In our minds, a sense of “I” naturally arises. This “I” often sees itself as separate (the Subject) from everything else (the Object). From this sense of separation, various divisions with potential for conflict emerge: my family versus others, my country versus others, me versus the world, and so on.

How does this affect our happiness? When we start to question whether the body is truly separate from the world, or ask where our thoughts come from – essentially, when we ask, “Who am I?” – we might discover that there is no constant, independent “I.” This insight can shift our perspective, allowing us to see others and the world in a new way.

With dedicated practice, a moment may come when no thoughts run through the mind. And a profound question arises: if the mind is perfectly empty, who is left to be affected by any positive and negative events?

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas
Size (W x H): 100 x 120 cm | 39.37 x 47.24 inches

We are trained to construct, create, and build. Naturally, this approach makes sense in our daily lives (I am building a website, creating art, etc.). But for our well-being, it can be incredibly beneficial to take a closer look at things and beings. When we start to investigate and deconstruct seemingly unchangeable objects, we begin to realize their true, empty nature. Take a chair, for example: It is built from wood, which comes from a tree that grew through the nourishment of soil, sunlight, and water. The sun shines due to nuclear fusion, where hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium, releasing energy in the process. This energy was set in motion by the forces born from the Big Bang—the origin of the universe.

By deconstructing, we uncover the ever-changing nature of all things and beings. And this leads to a profound question: Is there something that remains unchanged, ever-present, when nothing is left to deconstruct—when even the thought of "deconstruction" itself is allowed to fall away?

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 40 x 50 cm | 15.75 x 19.69 inches

We are always searching for an entrance to something. But in the end, it's not about finding an entrance or even searching. It's really about exiting and letting go—letting go of all thoughts, the desire to search, and the wish to enter something desirable. There is no entrance to find; we are already in the room we've been searching for. The door we see, the one we want to walk through, is just a thought that pulls our attention outward. Let it remain empty.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 40 x 50 cm | 15.75 x 19.69 inches

By "connecting the dots," we mean recognizing the relationships between seemingly unrelated ideas, events, or experiences to form a larger, cohesive picture. It's about finding patterns or insights that help us make sense of complex situations by linking individual pieces of information together.

However, we often connect the dots to create a pleasing narrative that helps our brain save energy, even if there is no real correlation. We may force information into preconceived patterns to fit our world, ignoring details that don't match our expectations. This simplification can lead to a distorted view of reality that reinforces itself.

When we truly connect all the dots, we begin to see the endless interdependence of all things and beings. As the separation between us and the world starts to fade, we eventually realize that there are no actual dots at all.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

We are the result of countless random events. Our mom met our dad, our grandfather survived a childhood pneumonia, and our great-grandmother … just to name a few simple stories. Our bodies and minds are shaped by pure chance.

With some luck, we might encounter a profound thought that suggests we observe all the thoughts that arise, including the thought itself. Our thoughts significantly influence our happiness and unhappiness. With even more luck, this thought can evolve and strengthen, motivating us to practice and eventually guide us to its very source.

Interestingly, this source is always present but often obscured by our constant thinking. Discover yourself and find the empty space between the random arrangements of thoughts.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

When we try to understand the origins of our universe, we quickly reach the limits of what can be explained. We grasp for something tangible, and the idea of a "Big Bang" as the foundation of existence seems fitting. It’s a concept we can visualize in our minds. However, if we go back just one millisecond before the Big Bang, all explanatory models fail. Everything—our world, our thoughts—results from that state before the Big Bang (if we follow this narrative). But we don't need to go back millions of years to connect with emptiness. It’s enough to question the origin of our most recent thought.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 100 x 70 cm | 39.37 x 27.56 inches

By focusing on one color, that color becomes the dominant thought in that moment. It is the only thing that exists in that instant. This is how we perceive the world—through fragments and thoughts that capture our attention. You can take this further and ask: Where is the rest of the world in that moment? And once you are able to stop thinking altogether: Where is the world at all? What remains is a beautiful emptiness beyond imagination, as imagination would be just another thought. Enjoy.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Happiness = Reality - Expectation.
This is the simplest formula you can use. It means that the higher our expectations are, the more likely we are to be unhappy because it becomes less likely that reality can meet them. It doesn't mean to do nothing, but rather to do something valuable without expecting anything in return. By acting this way, you not only become happier, but you also start doing more things that really matter to you and the people around you.
I had some leftover paint and wanted to use up the tubes. So I started using the rest without any expectations. This is when beautiful things start happening.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Most of us treat our time as if we have endless amounts of it, as if it's an abundant resource. But the truth is, our time is very limited. We often wonder, "Where does the time go?" while we waste hour after hour.
Imagine you have a time account where every hour you live is recorded. Good hours add to the account, while "bad" hours subtract from it. At the end of the year, you receive a letter from Time, just like a bank statement: "Your account is still overdrawn, and you might not have much time left to bring it back to a positive balance."
You think time moves in a straight, steady line, and that you can deal with your "debts" later. But time is actually a product of your perception. It can be fast, chaotic, slow, and sometimes it even seems to stand still. Time always brings change and randomness.
Make sure your account is at least balanced, because it could be closed at any moment.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Sometimes, a great view "outside" leads to a great view inside. This happens when you lose yourself within your surroundings. As the phrase suggests, by "losing yourself," there is no longer a subject observing objects. You become one with the experience itself. By realizing that there is no distinct self to experience anything, one might also come to understand that what we perceive as experiences are merely phenomena arising within the mind, illuminated by the light of consciousness. This opens a completely new view on the world.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

We love stories. We create a story around almost everything (mostly in hindsight), making it sound logical and reasonable. By doing this, we forget the endless possibilities of other paths and outcomes. Sometimes, fortune or randomness gives us a new thought, a different perspective on the world. This is when we realize that everything just happens. Things arise from emptiness and disappear back into it. Buddhists say: Once you sit at the center of the wheel, nothing moves anymore. You sit there in stillness and just watch the world turning around you. Discover this for yourself, as this text is also a narrative.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 145 x 95 cm | 57.09 x 37.40  inches

All the time, we are planning, evaluating, and thinking. Yet, even when we experience the power of randomness, we tend not to learn from this experience. Instead, in retrospect, we construct a narrative around that event, enabling us to fit it into a logical sequence of history, as if "this happens so that had to happen." We fail to see all the possible different outcomes, the sheer endless array of possibilities. Thus, the world continues to unfold before our eyes while we mistakenly believe that we are the ones controlling everything. This is a potentially dangerous way of thinking.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

In certain regions of Asia, there exists a tradition of inverting the cup of the deceased. Consequently, some Buddhist masters also adopt the practice of turning their cups upside down before retiring each night, as a continuous reminder of life's finite nature. Life, in essence, is a perpetual dance with death, their intertwined nature undeniable. However, maintaining awareness of this reality should not evoke melancholy or fear, but rather sharpen our perception of existence. Often, we treat time as an infinite resource, squandering it on pursuits devoid of true fulfillment. Yet, none of us will remain in this world in 150 years; hence, reason enough to embrace a touch more carefree spirit.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on artist's cardboard
Size (W x H): 68 x 95 cm | 26.77 x 37.40  inches

Maybe, this piece is a stroke of luck for someone who happens upon it. Like two twins finding each other after years of separation, discovering the potential of their shared genetic makeup. This may ignite a spark of hope and motivation deep within. Fortunate is the one who can witness the spark grow.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Sometimes, we stop, wonder, and feel like everything is just right. Other times, nothing feels right at all. These moments can make us reflect on our being and identity, starting a search within ourselves. With some effort and training, a beautiful emptiness can rise in the mind, leaving no room for thoughts. It’s like a perfect sunrise. Actually, the sun is always there, but most of the time, we only see reflections and shadows.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 50 x 50 cm | 19.69 x 19.69  inches

Our bodies and minds are designed for the jungle. In our modern world and the habitats we've created, our cognitive capacities are often maxed out. So, how does our mind react? We tend to simplify complex situations, create stories around them, and often fail to verify the information we receive. We fall back into an energy-saving mental state, which can result in poor decisions and an unhealthy view of the world. Therefore, we need to train ourselves to be more reflective and aware. To achieve this, our brains require regular breaks in low-information environments.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

For decades, twin research has been trying to determine whether it is our genes or our environment that decisively shapes us. It is certainly a combination of both. Whether we shape ourselves is not up for discussion, quite contrary to the modern "mindset" that often promotes self-optimization, the will to succeed, self-motivation, and "work on yourself." Yet, no one seems to ask what the source of one person's self-motivation and another's resignation is. Those who are fortunate enough to receive a dose of self-motivation at the right time in life can consider themselves lucky. Whether this is ultimately due to an activated gene or a positive environmental influence, who knows?

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

As long as there is duality, there can be no (inner) freedom. This is the message of many ancient texts. The goal of numerous meditation techniques is therefore to focus the mind initially on an image, a thought, the breath, or a mantra. However, duality still remains in the form of an observer and the observation—two thoughts circling each other in the darkness like dancers. The true goal is to let go of even this last distinction and remain in a fulfilled emptiness.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H):  80 x 80 cm | 31.50 x 31.50  inches

We more often look into the stars trying to find something than into ourselves. We imagine the endlessness of the night sky above us and most of us stand there, with open mouths, thinking: Unimaginable!
But it is exactly the other way around. It is our imagination, our mind that creates this immense space. The known universe has to fit into our minds; otherwise, we could not think about it.
And maybe one day, we will travel through the whole universe only to find: Nothing.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 78 x 78 cm | 30.71 x 30.71  inches

Every form, body, or mind emerges from the intricate interplay of countless individual components. These components interact, coalesce into new configurations, dissolve, and reassemble. Thus, one pathway towards uncovering the essence of reality lies in the deliberate deconstruction of forms—an ancient meditative practice as well. Through this process, the perceived boundaries between objects, as well as between subjects and objects, begin to dissolve. Consider the act of 'painting': what we perceive as a tangible artwork is, in essence, an idea conceived by an artist, transmuted onto canvas, and then interpreted by an observer. Both the artist and the viewer are products of their genetic makeup, interconnected atoms, and the environments they inhabit. And those environments, in turn, are shaped by the passage of time... Time, itself, is a construct, an outcome of countless interconnected factors... This approach can be applied universally, revealing what endures amidst the dissolution.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on artist's cardboard
Size (W x H): 68 x 95 cm | 26.77 x 37.40  inches

The jungle is perhaps the one ecosystem where you immediately sense that things do not exist separately. You see, feel, and smell the transitions between plants, animals, water, soil... While we often perceive things as strictly separated from each other—and from ourselves—the jungle presents itself as one immense living organism, a profound testament to the interdependence among all things and beings, illustrating the ongoing transition between them.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas
Size (W x H): 60 x 100 cm | 23.62 x 43.31  inches

„Purify“ is also just an idea (see „Purify I“). So get rid of …
… the brightness … (see „Purify II“)
… the color … (see „Purify III“)
… the form … (see „Purify IV“)
… the canvas … (see „Purify V“)
… the hole in the canvas … (see „Purify VI“)
… the idea of emptiness itself.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 120 x 100 cm | 47.24 × 39.37 inches

„Purify“ is also just an idea (see „Purify I“). So get rid of …
… the brightness … (see „Purify II“)
… the color … (see „Purify III“)
… the form … (see „Purify IV“)
… the canvas … (see „Purify V“)
… the hole in the canvas … (see „Purify VI“)
… the idea of emptiness itself.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 120 x 100 cm | 47.24 × 39.37 inches

We're often advised to live in the moment, yet isn't that where we inherently reside? It's the ceaseless wanderings of our thoughts into the realms of past regrets and future anxieties that often cloud our personal contentment. However, when we attain the rare ability to quiet the mind, something profound occurs. In the absence of thought, there exists neither past nor future—not even the fleeting grasp of a singular moment. Instead, what remains is a profound emptiness, a vast expanse where the essence of pure existence unfolds.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 100 x 40 cm | 39.37 x 15.75  inches

The mind is always running. One can find a glimse happiness when, amidst all the thinking, the concept of emptiness arises. And perhaps one day, one comes to realize that this concept, along with all other thoughts, is merely an illusion. However, recognizing this illusion is also an illusion in itself.

Year: 2024
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 80 x 80 cm | 31.50 × 31.50 inches

Science has shown that our brain reorganizes, interprets, and explains past events. Weaving together otherwise independent pieces of information into a story saves energy and makes it easier to remember. In doing so, we unconsciously rewrite historical moments to fit into a cognitively simple narrative. These past 'experiences' naturally shape how we interpret the present and what we expect from the future. True freedom arises when we are not trapped in a story, like a blank sheet of paper. Silencing the echoes of the past takes practice, as it requires us to go against our natural tendency to conserve energy.

Year: 2022
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Size (W x H): 65 x 110 cm | 25.59 x 43.31 inches

Motivation is something dynamic and energizing. But, of course, it depends on the source of that motivation. Too often, we admire motivated people, or on the flip side, motivated people take pride in their motivation as if it's something they actively control or create. Sure, I can say I "actively" set an alarm and pushed myself to go for a run in the morning. But when we ask, "Where does the motivation to set the alarm even come from?" things get more complicated.

When we look deeply for the source of motivation, we quickly realize it doesn’t come from purely "active" decisions—our brains don’t work as consciously as we like to think. It’s not as simple as saying, "I’m motivated now." We should be careful not to attribute motivation (and everything that follows) as an achievement to those who have it, and likewise, not judge those who struggle with it.

If we feel motivation within ourselves—whether for meditation or other positive actions—there’s only one thing to be: grateful

Year: 2022
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Size (W x H): 119 x 57 cm | 46.85 x 22.44 inches

The ocean is often used in Buddhist teachings as a metaphor. While the mind is active, we tend to identify with the waves and storms, or find pleasure in a calm, sunlit sea. But once we gain deep insight, we realize that we are more like the water itself, which remains unchanged. In the end, even this is just another thought that settles within the vast ocean of consciousness.

Year: 2022
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Size (W x H): 65 x 98 cm | 25.59 x 38.58 inches

Even if two things seem completely separate, when you look closely at their origins, you’ll realize there is no real difference. They are united in their true nature: emptiness.

Year: 2023
Limited edition: Edition of 40 + 5 APs
Materials: Fine art print on Canson Rag Photographique mounted on an Alu-Dibond panel with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H):  74 x 120 cm | 29 x 47 inches
Medium: Print
Signature: Hand-signed by artist, Signed by the Artist on the back.
Certificate of authenticity: Included (issued by artist)
Frame: Not included

Ancient texts tell us to stay in the moment. But what does that really mean? First, it means we are not caught up in the past (memories are scientifically proven to be distorted) or the future (we often project these distorted memories onto our idea of the future). When you truly stay in the present, these distractions fall away. The present moment, without labeling it or overthinking, is the only reality that truly exists. It sounds simple, but it's not easy. By doing something that fully absorbs your attention and letting go of habitual patterns, you can come close to this state and get a glimpse of it. This happens during sports, creating art, and other activities. But you don’t need to base-jump off buildings or go on endless vacations to experience it. This state is mental and can be trained. You can reach it regardless of the activity. Its main characteristic is quietness.

Year: 2022
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Size (W x H): 40 x 80 cm | 15.75 x 31.50 inches

With "our" thoughts, we build "our" world. A world that is categorized, defined and structured. A world in which just the measurable exists. But that is only one possible perspective on the world. Actually, the world doesn`t know any borders between phenomena. Having a closer look, everything becomes indistinct, is in constant change, wears away to become something new. Am I breathing with MY lung? One can also draw a different line: The lung, the air and plants are one big breathing system - and my body is attached to that system (which could be extended by light, water, microorganisms,...). An infinite picture of the world would be a friendly one, because there is no difference between "me" and the rest. If you think now: Manee is an esoteric wanker - have a look at quantum physics...

Year: 2016
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with hole
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.69 x 27.56 inches

A thought is the starting point of any human idea, whether it be God, a computer, artwork, or even the atomic bomb. But where does it come from? From our brains? From the neurons in those brains? From the atoms that make up the neurons? From the food that supplied those atoms? Or from past experiences? In truth, we—modern science included—don’t fully know. So, there is no reason to take pride in it, nor is there anything inherently special about it. Thoughts simply arise. But when they are brought into the world, their consequences are everything.

Year: 2016
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 115 x 120 cm | 45.28 x 47.24 inches

The more we realize that all things exist only through mutual dependency, the more distinctions between forms, colors, materials, and so on, begin to fade.

'Survival of the fittest' doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest survive, but rather those who best adapt to their environment. The challenge, however, is that we are constantly shaping this environment. So, who must adapt: us, or the environment we’ve created? The changes we make are often justified by the desire to create a better world. But will it truly be better? Is it better?

Year: 2017
Technique: Spray and acrylic paint on canvas and on a concrete eagle
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.69 x 27.56 inches

Often, small things make us question our understanding. To handle the overwhelming flow of information, our brains use shortcuts and process information based on fixed patterns. Our brains essentially 'decide' how we experience the world. But sometimes, when our brains can’t categorize new information, we need to pause and reflect. This is when we become more aware of our surroundings and start to think more deeply about them.
Some philosophical theories suggest that the world exists only within our minds. The fact is, we—including modern science—don’t know for sure. We can’t be certain if the world and all our experiences are merely products of our brains. This uncertainty doesn’t necessarily lead to a nihilistic viewpoint like 'if the world only exists in my mind, I can do whatever I want.' Even if the world exists only in our minds, we can still find happiness or unhappiness within it. It still operates under the law of action and reaction. Furthermore, if the world exists only within us, then all parts of that world are also parts of us. Therefore, we should care about that world.

Year: 2017
Technique: Spray on a concrete elephant
Size (L x W x H): 38 cm x 18 cm x 28 cm | 14.96 x 7.09 x 11.02 inches

Having endless thoughts, we do not recognize them for what they are. We neither see the dependency between things nor the consequences of our thinking. We do not see the forest for the trees. So, in order to clear the view, we have to forget the past and the future and drop all thoughts—at least for one moment.

"Live the moment" is one of the most overused phrases. It stands for craziness, adrenaline, spontaneity, and not caring about tomorrow. But that is not the "true" meaning of living in the moment. It rather means discovering the magic within the ordinary. That is a lot harder than jumping out of an airplane with someone strapped to you. Zen monks practice drinking tea for years. That might appear a bit boring, but drinking tea mindfully is a very hard thing to do. Give it a try: Drink a cup of tea without thinking about anything...

Year: 2017
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.69 x 27.56 inches

Ancient texts tell us to stay in the moment. But what does that really mean? First, it means we are not caught up in the past (memories are scientifically proven to be distorted) or the future (we often project these distorted memories onto our idea of the future). When you truly stay in the present, these distractions fall away. The present moment, without labeling it or overthinking, is the only reality that truly exists. It sounds simple, but it's not easy. By doing something that fully absorbs your attention and letting go of habitual patterns, you can come close to this state and get a glimpse of it. This happens during sports, creating art, and other activities. But you don’t need to base-jump off buildings or go on endless vacations to experience it. This state is mental and can be trained. You can reach it regardless of the activity. Its main characteristic is quietness.

Year: 2017
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm |19.69 x 27.56 inches

As time passes and moments go by, we begin to realize that reality is shaped not only by colors but also by the empty spaces.

Year: 2016
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Size (W x H): 113 x 52 cm | 44.49 x 20.47 inches

Once you experience the weightlessness of a moment without any thinking (which is not the same as acting mindlessly), you will very likely seek out another one and another one,...

Year: 2018
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 40 x 50 cm | 15.75 x 19.69 inches

Once you experience the weightlessness of a moment without any thinking (which is not the same as acting mindlessly), you will very likely seek out another one...

Year: 2017
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Once you experience the weightlessness of a moment without any thinking (which is not the same as acting mindlessly), you will very likely seek out another one, and another one, and another one...

Year: 2018
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Once you experience the weightlessness of a moment without any thinking (which is not the same as acting mindlessly), you will very likely seek out another one, and another one, and another one...

Year: 2018
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 25 x 80 cm (each of the two) | 9.84 x 31.50 inches

But will striving to collect many empty moments be enough to provide lasting fulfillment and happiness? Do we need to cultivate compassion for others in a world that may only exist within our minds?

Year: 2017
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Size (W x H): 80 x 60 cm | 31.50 x 23.62 inches

Once you experience the weightlessness of a moment without any thinking (which is not the same as acting mindlessly), you will very likely seek out another one, and another one, and another one...

Year: 2018
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 70 x 100 cm | 27.56 x 39.37 inches

Mankind ever since has been thinking about moments, happiness and the world...

Year: 2018
Technique: Gold leaf on wood
Size (W x H): 60 x 60 cm (each of the two) | 23.62 x 23.62 inches

Perhaps we possess the key to finding lasting happiness, but we often struggle to find the door, searching for it in the world outside.

Who is the one thinking? Who is perceiving that world? When we reflect on 'that person,' we might realize that 'they' are merely a thought themselves.

So, is it all just pointless thinking, given that thoughts simply arise?

Year: 2018
Technique: Gold leaf on wood
Size (W x H): 80 x 20 cm (each of the two) | 31.50 x 7.87 inches

Everything is shaped by randomness. What are the chances of seeing the light of the world? What are the chances of meeting someone wise? Given this, all we can do is be grateful!

Year: 2018
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 195 x 85 cm | 76.77 x 33.46 inches

Meditation teachings often use the metaphor of the sky. The blue sky represents pure (empty) consciousness, while thoughts are like clouds that sometimes completely obscure the sky from view. With increasing practice, we begin to shift our perspective, recognizing that we are actually the sky in which thoughts simply pass by.

Year: 2017
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.69 x 27.56 inches

Time is a perception of our minds. It can only exist with the past and the future, which in turn exist only within our minds. In the present moment, there is no time—just pure existence. Discovering this allows all the misery and pleasure associated with time to vanish.

Year: 2017
Technique: Acrylic paint on Hahnemühle art paper
Size (W x H): 50 x 70 cm | 19.69 x 27.56 inches

A thought is the starting point for any human idea, whether it’s about God, a computer, artwork, or even the atomic bomb. But where does it come from? From our brains? From the neurons in those brains? From the atoms that make up the neurons? From the food that provided those atoms? Or from past experiences? In truth, we—modern science included—don’t fully know. Therefore, there’s no reason to take pride in it or see it as inherently special. Thoughts simply arise. When they are acted upon, their consequences can be profound, and then they simply fade away.

Year: 2016
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 115 x 120 cm | 45.28 x 47.24 inches

What arises, eventually fades. This simple truth governs our entire lives. Yet, we tend to see things as fixed, unchanging entities, when in reality they are just temporary phenomena. Our body is one example. It is built according to a genetic plan and sustained by the food we consume. Then, over time, it fades, and its components—molecules and atoms—reorganize into other forms. The purpose of meditation, prayer, and similar practices is to discover what remains beyond these changing structures. And in fact, there is nothing to find, because it has always been there. It is simply obscured by our distorted perception of reality.

Year: 2020
Technique: Acrylic paint on Canvas with an empty cut-out section
Size (W x H): 105 x 81 cm | 41.34 x 31.89 inches