The interplay of light in the arena of life and a look behind the scenes
About the artist
From my series of works
60 cm x 80 cm | 2025 -Oil on hardboard
35 cm x 35 cm | 2025 - Oil paint on hardboard
15 cm x 25 cm | 2019 - Oil on hardboard
40 cm x 60 cm | 2018 - Oil on hardboard
50 cm x 50 cm | 2024 - Oil on canvas
22 cm x 30 cm | 2022 - Oil on hardboard
40 cm x 30 cm | 2018 - Oil on hardboard
35 cm x 35 cm | 2025 - Oil on hardboard
35 x 35 cm | 2025 - Oil on hardboard
85 cm x 110 cm | 2013 - Oil on cardboard on plywood
19 cm x 23 cm | 2025 - Oil on hardboard
Frank Nitsche’s paintings move between the stage and the inner self, between figure and space. In series such as Fool and King, Children’s Land, or Views from Within, light becomes the vehicle for movement, memory, and insight.
Why I Became an Artist
Even as a child, I discovered a world of lightness and friendliness through drawing, in contrast to the often harsh realities of life. Although the GDR initially led me to study mathematics and physics, it was there that I met my mentor, Paul Otto Knust—the artist who opened the door to painting for me and became like a father to me.
But it wasn’t until I was 41 that I dared to take the plunge and fully dedicate myself to art: I began a new course of study at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design and audited classes at the Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts (HGB Leipzig), set up a studio, and finally immersed myself in this world of paintings.
Why did I become an artist?
Because art has always been my refuge—the place where everything became easy and I could be completely myself.
“I want to show that art makes lightness possible without repression: spaces where we can laugh and see the cracks. A culture that tolerates both – brilliance and shadow – allows people to be more honest with each other.”