Friedrich Kunath

German artist Friedrich Kunath paints pictures dripping in irony. Or as he puts it himself: "Things that shouldn't be together are colliding" – namely, influences from 19th-century Romanticism and Northern Baroque painting alongside cartoon characters, 90s song lyrics and tropical sunsets native only to holiday-postcard clichés. Born in 1974 during communism in East Germany, Friedrich grew up in a tight-knit community. However, his world was turned upside-down when he learned that many of his parent's friends were Stasi informants, forcing Friedrich to grapple with "a complete betrayal of everything you thought". These contrasting realities still permeate his art practice today. In 2003, after a life-threatening illness due to alcoholism and drug abuse, Friedrich dedicated himself to painting with a new sense of urgency. In 2007, he moved to Los Angeles, and the city, set within the broader, fraying concept of the American Dream more broadly, continues to provide much energy and inspiration for his work.