You talk about your artistic interest in the everyday and the mundane. What are some ordinary things, scenes, or objects that you find beautiful?

I find beauty in lighting and in accidental arrangements that create an exciting composition. Movement and dance are also beautiful to me. I like darkness and melancholy as well, and I think ugliness can be interesting. In general, I like scenes and objects that tell a story and have a sense of life within them, as well as visual contrasts and things that are a little bit odd.

Tell me a little more about your process -- you mention the intensity of late nights in your studio. Do you generally paint from life, memory, imagination, a photo? You seek out, as you say, the 'essence of a subject.' As you paint, where do you look for that essence?

I work with models, and I usually paint from reference photos that I take myself, especially when I paint at night in the studio. But I also like to do observational paintings, although that is not always possible. However, I only paint interior scenes from life, so that I can study the nuances of color that would be compressed in a photograph.

Often, I only take certain aspects of a reference photo and incorporate them into my painting, or I combine and adjust different elements. So I never simply copy the photo; rather, I play with parts of it to create a painting in which I can express myself in ways that would not be possible within a photograph. When I create art, I follow my own curiosity. I usually start with a rough visual idea and let myself be surprised by the development of the painting during the process. I always have to act very quickly on my ideas because I feel a strong sense of urgency when I work on a painting. For me, the painting process must always be exploratory and playful; otherwise, the work has no energy.

As soon as I have conveyed my initial inspiration, I stop. There is nothing more to say, nothing else to explore. I think that is what keeps the essence in my paintings. I do not over-explain myself in my art because I do not want to become bored with what I am creating.

You were born in Offenbach am Main and now live and work in Berlin. Can you talk about how the different material spaces you've occupied influence your work? Are there certain scenes, colours, emotions, that you associate with one place or another? How do you capture the feeling of place in art? 

I just recently moved to Berlin, which was a very conscious decision after graduating from art school. I think it is a very vibrant city with a diverse cultural scene that offers a lot to artists. However, I try to find inspiration wherever I am. Sometimes the mundane can be just as exciting as new experiences. For example, I did an exchange semester at an art school in Salamanca, Spain (Universidad de Salamanca). During that time, I intensively studied interior scenes from life. Nothing was too ordinary to be painted.

When I returned home for Christmas holidays, I saw my surroundings with different eyes. I asked myself: What makes this place look so familiar? How would I experience these elements if I painted them? I started noticing details, such as the colorful reflections in the metallic water tap of the sink in my bathroom, which inspired me a lot.

I sometimes even occupy friends' apartments to paint scenes that I find inspiring. Fortunately, they are very supportive of my ideas. I am interested in places that tell a story and have traces of life within them. Certain imperfections can add character to a place, for example, an unmade bed or a pile of clothes thrown on a chair.

Finally, what and whom are your influences?

I have a fascination with dance and how you can express yourself through your body, which is one of the reasons why I am very interested in the figure as a subject in my art. Fashion and costumes also play a role in that.

Of course, there are many artists I look up to and study extensively. A major influence for me is definitely Egon Schiele. I am touched by his raw emotions and his devotion to the figure.

My influences also change over time, so it is difficult to pinpoint specific artists. When it comes to scenes and interiors, I am fascinated by the melancholic and quiet paintings of Vilhelm Hammershøi, as well as by the contemporary painters Carlos San Millán and Jeremy Miranda.