Modern

Visual Description

A woman’s face in close-up, painted in grays and whites. One eye is squeezed shut, the other half open, the mouth wide open. A septum ring sits in her nose, and her lips are a strong red. In front of her mouth a hand rises with long, green-painted nails; the middle finger is extended.

Orange hair falls into the picture on the left. Handwritten words in white appear on this area, among them “modern,” “strong” and “loud” in German. Lines of writing also run across the dark ground along the right edge. Text and figure interlock.

Artistic Interpretation

“Modern” shows a woman who does not hold back. The scream and the gesture are direct, almost provocative. The words along the edge read like labels. They may be imposed from outside or chosen by the figure herself.

Hübner poses a question to the present: What counts as modern, as strong, as loud? The painting does not judge. It captures an expression that lies between self-assertion and exaggeration and leaves the interpretation to the viewer.

Art-Historical Context

The combination of image and text is familiar from Pop Art and Conceptual Art, for example in the work of Barbara Kruger. Hübner brings this strategy into painting. The writing remains handwritten and part of the painted surface rather than set as graphic type.

Exclusivity

The work is a unique piece in acrylic on canvas, measuring 70 × 50 cm and completed in March 2025. Hübner uses UV-reactive paint. Under black light, the balance within the image shifts and a second level of perception emerges.

Collector Value

“Modern” belongs to the group of works “Identity and the Present” and was shown at Galerie Tschart in Leipzig in 2025. It suits collectors looking for contemporary figuration with a clear stance. It works especially well in spaces where art is allowed to start conversations.

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