Christopher Rehm

My artistic journey began at age seven in a Key West studio, where many times I'd emerge each Saturday covered in oil paint, already in love with the act of creation. That early passion has never left me, weaving through a life that has included studying architecture at Virginia Tech, serving in the Army, working as a computer engineer at Intel, and traveling across continents. Each experience has added layers to my artistic vision. The pivotal moment came seventeen years ago at an exhibition of 80 J.W. Waterhouse paintings in Groningen. His ability to capture both precise reality and deep emotion reignited my commitment to art. Since moving to Europe 19 years ago, I've been captivated by the ancient architecture, the play of light on centuries-old facades, and the stories held within weathered doorways. My influences span centuries and cultures: from Albrecht Dürer's precise lines to Hokusai's flowing forms, from the Pre-Raphaelites' narrative romanticism to Ansel Adams' captured light. My three years studying architecture left an indelible mark - I see the world in terms of line, shape, and form, always searching for the defining details that Mies van der Rohe spoke of. Cancer changed me. It gave my work urgency, opened me to new forms of expression like abstract painting, and led me to explore Japanese woodblock printing during my recovery. This experience, and the others, taught me that an adventurous life isn't for the weak - and that art is how we transform our struggles into beauty. Today, I paint from my studio in Klosterlechfeld, Bavaria, finding inspiration in everything from local doorways that serve as portals to other worlds, to imaginary creatures I envision living beneath the ice of Saturn's moon Titan. My work spans landscapes, cityscapes, botanical studies, portraits, and fantastical scenes - each one a story waiting to be discovered.

2025 April, Gallery Auxburg, Augsburg, DE 2025 July, Atelier Grace, Landsberg am Lech, DE 2025 July, Gallery Auxburg, Augsburg, DE 2025 October, Gallery Auxburg, Augsburg, DE 2025 November, Gallery Auxburg, Augsburg, DE

Virginia Tech School of Architecture and Design