Rolf Mallat
Painter from Deutschland
"Nichts ist wie es scheint, und jede Realität hat viele Wahrheiten. Die Realität ist immer nur eine Momentaufnahme, die sich bei näherer Betrachtung wie unter einem Kaleidoskop in unzählige Facetten auffächert." - Rolf Mallat
Biography of Rolf Mallat
Born in 1957 in Bonn, the artist pursued a degree in Fine Arts (Free Graphics) at the University of Applied Arts and Design in Cologne from 1978 to 1983. She is a member of the BBK Bonn, ART 7 Bonn Artists’ Group, and the Kunstverein Rhein-Sieg.
As a co-founder of the Kreativ-Werkstatt Troisdorf and the Kunsthaus Troisdorf / Municipal Gallery, she has been actively engaged in the regional art scene.
- Since 1981 Began exhibiting her work in the Cologne-Bonn area.
- Since 1991 Expanded her exhibitions to neighboring countries, including Genk, Brno, Minsk, and Salzburg.
- Since 2000 Regular participation in national and internationally juried art exhibitions.
About the art of Rolf Mallat
The focus of my artistic work lies in representational painting, with the human figure as the central theme of my **hand-painted portraits**. My works combine visual motifs sourced from print, TV, and online media. During the painting process, new visual contexts emerge, challenging the depicted subjects and their surroundings.
My mission as an artist is to disrupt perceptions of reality, provoke questions, and relativize what we accept as truth. These paintings do not offer definitive statements; rather, the overlays and juxtapositions of various visual sequences create contradictory, sometimes Dadaist scenarios. "Nothing is as it seems, but every reality holds many truths."
When I extract motifs from the overwhelming flood of images in today’s world to create a painting, this process becomes an act of deceleration, focus, and elevation.
Photography, despite certain reservations, retains an aura of authenticity. To challenge reality, I must, when necessary, paint with a high degree of realism—otherwise, it doesn’t work. The person in the photograph is "real." I use this initial trust as a foundation: my artistic endeavor is to unsettle the viewer’s trust, provoke questions, and encourage a reexamination of perceived realities.
