Christoph Ruckhäberle

Christoph Ruckhäberle is a German artist and printmaker known for his big, flat, clunky, and multi-figure paintings.

Biography of Christoph Ruckhäberle

Christoph Ruckhäberle was born in 1972 in Pfaffenhofen, Germany. He pursued his studies at the California Institute of the Arts from 1991 to 1992. In 1995, he obtained his BFA in painting, followed by his MFA in 2002 from Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig. He is closely affiliated with the renowned New Leipzig School art movement.

Ruckhäberle has showcased his artwork internationally in solo and group exhibitions. Some of his notable solo shows include Christoph Ruckhäberle, Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig, Germany (2001), Nye Eventyr, Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, Denmark (2005), Trapped in White Tiger Sanctum, Hospitalhof, Stuttgart, Germany (2010), Behind the Green Door, Ampersand Gallery, Portland, USA (2015), Noa Noa, Thaler Originalgrafik, Leipzig, Germany (2018), Spiel mit dem Feuer, Aki Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan (2022), and others.

Notable group exhibitions featuring Ruckhäberle's artwork include Junge Kunst, Galerie Kleindienst, Leipzig, Germany (2000), Convoi, Metallgalerie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2002), Mad Love, Arken, Ishøj, Denmark (2007), Paralleller, Ungt samtidsmaleri fra Norge/Leipzig, Kistefosmuseet, Jevnaker, Norway (2010),  Berlin Klondyke, Hipphalle Gmunden, Austria (2013), Monday Is A Day Between Sunday And Tuesday, Tanja Leighton, Berlin, Germany (2017), Forét, Arario Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (2021), and many more. 

Christoph Ruckhäberle's Art Style

Christoph Ruckhäberle is known for his large-scale, flat, and boldly depicted paintings featuring multiple figures. Some of his thickly painted works appear to have emerged from life drawing classes, while overall, his art possesses a cartoonish, folk-inspired quality. With a palette alternating between subdued and vibrant hues, his pieces evoke a mysterious and bittersweet atmosphere.  

In Ruckhäberle's compositions, it often feels as if his characters are waiting for something to happen. For instance, in the painting "Night," two out of six naked women gaze out of a window, while the others display a sense of self-absorbed ennui. In the comical piece "Guitar Band," viewers look over the heads of an audience, sharing in their anticipation, as four men in suits play acoustic guitars on stage. "Lake at Sunset" presents a scene with four nude or partly nude people, probably romantic seekers. They are arranged in various poses within a rocky glade while owls perch on leafless trees. Even in his touchingly contemplative portraits, Ruckhäberle captures the mood of a lost generation.