Christopher Hartmann

Christopher Hartmann (b. 1993, Hassfurt) is a German-Costa Rican artist who lives and works in London. Hartmann’s paintings portray situations that are seemingly detached from specific time and space. They are concerned with relationships, how these are shaped by contradictory forces of alienation, intimacy and dependence, and the emotional tension this instils within each of us as we negotiate their terms. Typically presented in spaces of presumed dialogue or physical interaction, Hartmann’s subjects embody the desire for an authentic connection. The eeriness and hostility of Hartmann’s work is symptomatic of the age we live in: an isolated, technology-driven and oversaturated world where realism has been pushed to a simulated extreme. Using layers of oil paint that mimic the masks of photo editing software, Hartmann’s subjects radiate artificial tones of scarlet and yellow to evoke the luminosity of the screen, calling forth the strangely unfamiliar hue of our digital selves.

Hartmann holds an MA in Communication Design from Central Saint Martins and completed an MFA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths University (2021). He is a grantee from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation (2020) and resident of The Fores Project London (2020) and Nassima Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv, Israel (2022).

Solo exhibitions include ‘Nightswimming’, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles (2023); ‘No Signal’, KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin (2022); ‘State of Life, May I Live, May I Love’, T&Y Projects, Tokyo (2022); ‘What I Want to Say Is This’, Nassima-Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv (2021); ‘I Will Heal’, GNYP Gallery, Berlin (2021); ‘In and out of touch’, Hannah Barry Gallery, London (2021). 

His works have been featured in group exhibitions at Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen (2022); TJ BOULTING, London (2021); Goldsmith University, London (2021); Newchild Gallery, Antwerp (2021); Nassima-Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv (2020 - 2021); KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin (2020); White Cube, London (2020); Unit London, London (2020); Hannah Barry Gallery, London (2020).

Christopher Hartmann is represented by Blum & Poe.