Wolfe von Lenkiewicz

Wolfe von Lenkiewicz, also known as Von Wolfe, is a British visual artist of German and Polish descent whose practice bridges traditional oil painting with artificial intelligence. Born in Dartmoor, England, in 1966, he carries an illustrious artistic lineage as the great-grandson of Baron von Schlossberg, court painter to King Ludwig II of Bavaria - a connection that adds 'historical depth' to his journey while affirming 'an inherited affinity for painting.'

Educated at the University of York, where he studied philosophy and epistemology under Marie McGinn and Roger Woolhouse, von Lenkiewicz grounds his practice in intellectual rigor. His early works focused on language and mythology, 'juxtaposing religious figures and literary characters with pop-culture icons,' while his later creations examine 'themes of identity, intimacy, psychological depth, technology, power and time.'

The artist’s distinctive methodology involves a 'meticulous amalgamation of traditional and digital techniques.' He describes his process as beginning with 'the generation of ideas through AI algorithms, a process akin to planting seeds in a digital Petri dish,' from which he selects the most compelling images before transferring these digital visions onto canvas using oil paints. This approach allows him to create 'artistic reconfigurations of well-known imageries from art history,' transforming iconic works by masters such as Albrecht Dürer and Théodore Géricault into ambiguous contemporary compositions.

Von Lenkiewicz draws deeply from the 'intense new philosophy embodied in German art.' particularly German Romanticism and French Neo-classicism, while also engaging with the Renaissance and the Netherlands School of the 16th century. Despite his embrace of technology, he maintains that oil paint offers a 'tactile nature, depth of color, and versatility' that provides an 'irreplaceable sensory experience' and a tangible link to centuries of artistic tradition.

An active curator since founding T1+2 Art Space in 2002, where he presented Gustav Metzger and Otto Muehl, von Lenkiewicz has recently collaborated with SHOWstudio on exhibitions including SHADOW-BAN (2024) and AI Means Love in Chinese, alongside fashion illustrations for Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier. His 2024 solo show at Richard Heller Gallery further demonstrates this 'unique synthesis of historical influences and contemporary technology.'