Infusion

Visual Description

An arm reaches into the picture from the right. A dark, bluish-gray sleeve is bunched up past the wrist. The hand hangs loosely, its fingers slightly curled. An IV cannula sits on the back of the hand, held in place with tape. A thin tube leads down and out of the picture.

The hand and arm are painted naturalistically in warm skin tones. The background, by contrast, is abstract: dragged bands of pink, red, violet, blue and yellow, some running vertically. On the left lies a pale, almost white area with frayed edges that looks as if it had been peeled away.

Artistic Interpretation

“Infusion” pairs a medical detail with a field of color. The IV line stands for care, but also for dependence and vulnerability. The limp posture of the hand reinforces this impression.

At the same time, the color behind it can be read as what flows: energy, memory, life force. Hübner leaves open whether the infusion is supplying something or whether the color is leaving the body. Viewers encounter a quiet, intimate moment that opens into a larger emotional space.

Art-Historical Context

The abstract ground recalls the squeegee paintings that Gerhard Richter established in German painting. Hübner, however, does not use this abstraction as a picture in its own right but as a resonant space for a realistically painted figure. The work thus sits between contemporary realism and gestural painting.

Exclusivity

“Infusion” is a unique work in acrylic on canvas in a square 80 × 80 cm format, painted in January 2025. Fluorescent pigments react to UV light and make the colored ground glow more strongly under black light, giving the work a second, altered appearance.

Collector Value

The work belongs to the group “Inner States” and was exhibited at Galerie Tschart in Leipzig in 2025. It suits collectors looking for figurative painting with a clear thematic focus. The square format allows a calm installation, even in smaller rooms.

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.

Exhibitions and Awards

2025: Galerie Tschart, Leipzig, Germany