Frank Nitsche creates abstract and dynamic compositions through a unique visual language he has developed in his paintings. Geometric shapes, lines, and forms merge through his multilayered approach, evoking the aesthetics of architectural plans, technical models, or digital designs. Drawing from an extensive visual archive rooted in media, popular culture, and consumerism, Nitsche carefully organizes these elements into an abstract visual idiom. His color palette, often dominated by shades of khaki, blue, and green, imbues his works with both a calm and sophisticated character.
Nitsche’s works are entirely handcrafted without the use of digital tools. His process involves assembling, deconstructing, and reshaping planar forms to create compositions rich in structural dynamism. According to the artist, his works critique the overly designed nature of contemporary aesthetics while incorporating social commentary. By positioning forms, reacting to them, erasing, repainting, and iterating, Nitsche aims to achieve a sense of visual tension and harmony. Each piece is approached individually, avoiding serial production or standardized formats.
Nitsche’s works reflect the influence of Constructivism, interwoven with contemporary design aesthetics. His compositions sometimes resemble three-dimensional modeling software or imaginary urban architecture. Layers of paint are carefully sanded or removed to reveal underlying textures, replacing continuous lines with intricate details and depth. This meticulous and labor-intensive process offers a critical and technological perspective on modernity, endowing his paintings with both a timeless and contemporary visual quality.
Born in 1964 in Görlitz, Germany, Frank Nitsche studied at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden between 1988 and 1993, completing his undergraduate and postgraduate studies there by 1995.
His works have been exhibited internationally in numerous prominent galleries and museums. Selected exhibitions include Opening Up Art, Tate Modern, London (2006); Figures in the Field, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2006); Professional Smile, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin (2013); General Inn, Leo Koenig Inc., New York (2013); and Franks Boutique, Galerie Gebr. Lehmann, Dresden (2014). In 2023, his first solo exhibition in Turkey, Turkish Delight, was held at PİLEVNELİ in Istanbul.
Frank Nitsche lives and works in Berlin.