Upside Down by Christian Hahn

2009
Acrylic paint on wall and oil paint on canvas
Patrons: Jean and Francine Sliwka

Christian Hahn’s early fascination with video and computer games informs the recognizable yet weirdly disjointed images seen in his paintings.

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I hope my pictures look at first very beautiful and maybe very positive—but I always like the space behind that. When people discuss my work, there are two opinions: some say ‘He paints only beauty,’ and others say ‘He paints only catastrophes.’ I think I’m directly in between. There’s beauty in my pictures, but there’s also something you can be afraid of.

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Upside Down is located on level two in the temporary exhibition gallery. The work was executed with help from Brandon Bultman, Alex Erskine, Jake Galey, Liz Greene, Stephan Herrera, Sara Lyzziak, Dmitri Obergfell, Zach Reini, and Meghan Weatherby

Meet the Artist

Christian Hahn was born in Nürnberg, Germany, in 1969. He studied illustration at the Fachhochschule für Kommunikationsdesign, Nürnberg from 1988 to 1993. Upon receiving his degree in illustration in 1993, he moved to Hamburg and began studying fine art at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste.

Hahn began exhibiting internationally in 1993, and received his first solo show in 1998. He received his degree in fine art from the Hochschule für Bildende Künste the next year, in 1999. Since that time, he has participated in exhibitions in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Bonn, and Berlin, as well as in England, Italy, The Netherlands, Russia, and France. His work is in the public collections of The Essl Collection of Contemporary Art in Vienna, the Hamburg Kunsthalle in Hamburg, Collection Harald Falckenberg in Hamburg, as well as Collection Heiner Bastian in Berlin. He is represented by Sfeir-Semler Gallery in Beirut and Hamburg.

Image courtesy of the artist.

Recent Work

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Photos

Embrace! is organized by the Denver Art Museum. Special thanks to Vicki and Kent Logan and the Embrace! patrons who sponsored the work of these artists. Support is provided by U.S. Bank and Accenture, the Denver Art Museum’s Technology Partner. Additional funding is provided by Avanade Inc., the citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, the generous donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, the LEF Foundation, and the John G. Duncan Charitable Trust. Promotional support is provided by The Denver Post, CBS4, and 5280 Magazine.

Upside Down by Christian Hahn