Bunt (Colorful)

Visual Description

“Bunt” shows two figures in a close embrace. On the left stands a nun in a black habit and white coif, her eyes closed. On the right, a man with a shaved head and tattoos on his neck leans toward her. He wears a dark shirt and holds a studded leather jacket covered in patches. Their lips meet.

The figures are painted in gray, black and white. Behind them, a field of color bursts open: red, orange and yellow radiate from around their heads, overlaid with splatters and vertical drips in turquoise and green. The dark ground at the edges intensifies the glow at the center.

Artistic Interpretation

Hübner joins two roles rarely imagined side by side in everyday life: religious discipline and subcultural rebellion. In the kiss, these labels do not disappear, but they lose their sharp edges. The clothing remains a sign, while the moment itself is private and tender.

The title, German for “colorful,” can be read as a reference to diversity and to a togetherness that does not require sameness. The burst of color behind the couple marks the moment as an event without commenting on it.

Art-Historical Context

The kiss between a religious and a secular figure has been known in visual culture since the 1990s as a deliberate provocation. Hübner takes up this tension but shifts it into painting. The pairing of realistic black-and-white figures with a gestural field of color points to Pop Art and to contemporary expressive figuration.

Exclusivity

“Bunt” is a unique work in acrylic on canvas, 100 × 70 cm, completed in November 2025. It contains UV-reactive paint: under black light, the splatters and drips glow intensely and set the couple even more sharply apart from the background.

Collector Value

The painting belongs to the work group “Identity and the Present” and reflects Hübner’s interest in roles, signs and how they can be reinterpreted. At 100 × 70 cm, it has a clear presence in living and working spaces.

For collectors seeking contemporary figuration with a social question and strong color, “Bunt” is a concise work that invites conversation.

More About the Artist

Matthias Hübner (b. 1976) combines high-contrast figuration with intense color and an open, psychologically charged visual language in modern surrealistic realism. People, emotions and different levels of perception are at the center of his work. Since returning to painting in 2020, he has continued to develop his artistic position experimentally.

Early awards at the GDR youth painting competition in 1989 and the European painting competition in 1993, along with international recognition in recent years, mark his artistic development.

Condition Report

Very good condition; no visible defects. A detailed condition report is available on request.