Anselm Kiefer
German
© Press Release Ashmolean Museum
Biography
Anselm Kiefer is one of the most important postwar European artists, known for his monumental works that confront history, memory, and trauma.
Born in Germany in the final months of World War II, Kiefer grew up in the shadow of the country’s Nazi past. His early work directly addressed themes that many Germans preferred to avoid, making him a controversial but necessary voice in postwar art.
Kiefer’s paintings and installations are characterized by their massive scale and unconventional materials — including lead, straw, ash, clay, and burnt wood. These materials are not decorative; they carry symbolic weight, evoking destruction, rebirth, and alchemy.
He often references mythology, poetry (especially Paul Celan), Jewish mysticism, and German philosophy, creating layered works that merge cultural memory with personal reflection.
Today, Kiefer is regarded as a key figure in Neo-Expressionism and one of the most intellectually ambitious artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
"Art is difficult. It's not entertainment."
Did you know?
Obligó a Alemania —y a Europa— a confrontar visualmente el legado de la guerra y el genocidio. Expandió la pintura hacia un medio escultórico, casi arquitectónico.
Reintrodujo la historia y la espiritualidad en el arte contemporáneo en una época dominada por el minimalismo y el conceptualismo.