Artist Nikolaus Kriese

I have been working as a freelance artist and commissioned painter since 1995 - in Germany and internationally. My focus is on free painting, individual commissioned art and portrait painting. I create acrylic and oil paintings in various formats - from large-format canvases to detailed portraits. Each work is unique, developed in dialog with the space, theme and commission.

For me, art means presence, not illustration. The focus is on materiality, color and the painterly process. Whether figurative or abstract - each painting asserts its own reality. I am not interested in decoration, but in filling spaces with meaning.

My works are created between intuition and structure - supported by precise craftsmanship and creative experience. They move in the field of tension between surface and depth, color and stillness. In addition to classical painting, my repertoire also includes wall designs, façade works and projects in public spaces - as well as interdisciplinary collaborations with science, media and industry.

Projects & clients (selection)

Numerous projects are created on behalf of or in collaboration with companies, institutions and collectors worldwide:

Siemens Mobility, Huawei, Jung von Matt, Ensinger Plastics, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Aldi Nord, Archdiocese of Berlin, Brunata – Metrona, KAUST – King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Kakoii, Scrivo, Sparkasse Mittelthüringen, QCore, Institut Montana, Frankfurt University Hospital, Rösle, Dr. Suwelack, Hugo Boss, Werner Companies, Group DF, Centuros, PrivatCapital Immobilien, JCK Holding, Seaship Cont GmbH, Parfümerie Albrecht, REMA Group, Permira, Popp Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Kleiner Stanztechnik, BUGA 2021, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Deutschlandfunk, Pipilotti Rist – as well as for numerous private collectors.

A feature from Deutschlandfunk >> https://www.hoerspielundfeature.de/freistil-ist-das-noch-kunst-oder-schon-werbung-100.html

Collage-like image stagings between architecture and imagination

In many of Nikolaus Kriese's works, the world is transformed into a visual construction kit: spaces, objects and landscapes are recombined - not by chance, but as a conscious construction of a different reality.

The combination of real existing elements creates new contexts. For example, when photorealistic architecture suddenly appears in intensely colored landscapes or carefully painted objects become legible as artificially inserted elements. These are pictorial worlds that read like collages, but are staged on the canvas with painterly precision.

Quite a few of these pictures are like nature: they don't ask questions - but they do provide answers. Kriese opens up new spaces with his compositions: flying objects, children's toys, stairways, glimpses, passages, doors to another dimension. New worlds emerge against a familiar backdrop.

Stylistically, the work is characterized by strong colour contrasts, a clear architectural structure and naturalistic attention to detail. Whether closed shutters, deserted offices or meticulously drawn lines - everything appears deliberately placed and at the same time mysterious. The rooms often appear deserted, large-scale, slightly gloomy and imbued with a quiet mysticism.

Kriese gives his pictures little white space, but plenty of room for interpretation and atmosphere. The penchant for detail, the combination of structure and the surreal - all this makes his art an invitation: not just to see, but to experience.

Painting & Commissioned Painting
– An Interview with Artist Nikolaus Kriese 2023

Nikolaus Kriese has been an artist and commissioned painter since 1995. Today, he is one of the most successful artists in his niche. Born in Erfurt, he sells his paintings to customers from all over the D-A-C-H region via his website. But his customers also include international & prominent clients, such as companies and collectors. He creates colorful acrylic paintings and authentic oil paintings for them. We asked the creative free spirit about his career, how he has developed as an artist, which projects he has already realized and how important digital visibility can be for modern artists.

The sun casts long shadows on the facades of the former factory premises on Weimarische Straße in Erfurt. Cars speed past the large gate entrance, on which "KONTOR" is written in stone letters above the entrance. Behind it is the studio of Nikolaus Kriese, who welcomes us with a hot cup of coffee in his hand. In the past, flower seeds were packaged here on the premises, which were grown in the fields behind, the painter tells us as he shows us around the formerly derelict premises. They are now used by a carpentry workshop, a yoga studio and creative people for their activities. "I've had everything I need here since 2016: bright rooms for painting and a depot for my work as well as the wild nature around it, where I can relax."

The Thuringian was born with a "creative streak", he tells us with a level-headed smile. "I started painting and drawing at an early age and was very lucky that my parents and teachers supported my talent from the very beginning." At the age of five, he had his first art exhibition at home. In the 10th grade, Nikolaus Kriese finally went to an art boarding school and received his first art scholarship from the Sparkasse. "With 10,000 marks in my pocket, I decided to drop out of school. In search of inspiration and with the desire to develop myself creatively, I traveled the world for a few years and painted," recalls the now father of four.

A symbiosis of painting and architecture 


Back in Germany in 2002, Nikolaus Kriese decided to train as a theater painter in Erfurt and Berlin for three years "to gain a foundation in artistic practice". During this time, he received a second art scholarship. All signs pointed to self-employment. In 2006, the painter founded his "Atelier Nikolaus Kriese". "At the time, I even had a permanent job offer from the theater in Plauen, but I made a conscious decision to be a freelance artist. I wanted to use the power and abilities of my imagination to capture things and depict them through the medium of painting. I wouldn't have been able to do that in this form within the fixed structures of a theater painter. Nevertheless, I am very grateful for this time," recalls the artist, who now also offers facade painting for companies. In 2019, he was commissioned to design the façade of the gymnasium in the Geraaue as part of the BUGA. A façade design with ginkgo leaves by Nikolaus can be seen on Goethestrasse in Erfurt, as well as a painting with child-friendly motifs on the outside roof of the children's cancer ward at Helios Klinikum. "Façade painting is one of my specialties and is always extremely appealing, as it combines architecture and painting. The external appearance of a building is primarily determined by the façade. It is an essential part of the exterior space and the face towards the city and the public."

"In my portrait paintings, I aim to portray people as naturally as possible and capture their personality in an advantageous way"

Nikolaus primarily works as a modern portrait and commissioned painter. "Portraying a person on canvas is a very challenging but also exciting task. In my portrait paintings, I aim to depict people as naturally as possible and capture their personality in an advantageous way," explains the creative mind as he shows his latest work on the easel. Whether business or family portraits - Nikolaus usually works with photographic templates, on the basis of which he creates hand-painted works using lightfast oil paints on canvas. His customers include families, art collectors and entrepreneurs who order their individual works directly from Nikolaus' website. "But I also produce professional art copies for clients, whether old masters or modern works, motifs from the Renaissance or the Baroque.

For example, I created a full-size copy of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner for a doctor's surgery in Berlin. This year I was commissioned to paint a frigate for Thyssenkrupp, which was presented as a gift to the Egyptian navy. For the CEO of Siemens Mobility, a 3×2 m painting of a postcard from the 1920s of Potsdamer Platz. A few years ago, for example, the Thuringian realized a major marketing campaign with Huawei, for which he made a copy of a Caspar David Friedrich painting, which then hung next to the original in the Hamburg Kunsthalle for a day. "Thanks to my +25 years of experience, the possibilities are almost unlimited."

The modern artist should not close his mind to innovation

The artist receives orders almost exclusively via his online store. How important is it to have a professional digital presence as an artist in 2023 if you want to make a living from your work? "Being found on the web as an artist is essential if you are also looking for national and international clients. That's why I got involved with online marketing when I started my own business. The art market is constantly changing, so it is particularly important to always have your finger on the pulse. At least if you want to make a living from your work. I've also had countless exhibitions in Erfurt, but I mainly sell online - including my freelance work," explains Nikolaus as he pours us a fresh cup of coffee. As we step outside into the garden, he adds: "In addition to all the digital possibilities, the basis for success as an artist is knowing your own worth and sticking to it. You should also always be open to innovations in the art world, keep trying things out and keep learning. Traveling abroad is also beneficial to gather new inspiration. The profession of an artist today is no longer just about being free-spirited. As an entrepreneur, you need a clear daily structure, good communication with customers, professional online content and reliability - then monetization can also succeed."

Intense and expressive images

The painter would like to continue working and living in Thuringia. However, Nikolaus Kriese states when we return to his studio to take photos for this article that it doesn't really matter where he lives. His dream is a house with a studio in Switzerland. While we chat about dreams for the future, Nikolaus takes his free works out of his depot, their vibrant colors shining brightly in the midday sun. "Before I start painting, I have an intention inside me and want to give it a form, to bring the thought to canvas - intensely and expressively." Experimentation is important to the painter in his free works. Sometimes he paints for a few hours, sometimes for days or even weeks at a time. And when Nikolaus positions himself next to his large-format abstract paintings in his studio and we set up the camera for the artist portrait, we realize once again that art is more than just paint on canvas. Works of art are direct expressions of inner images and they are just as diverse as their creators themselves.

The interview was conducted by: TKAK