Johannes Schramm
Upcoming Exhibition | Montecito
October 29 - November 25
German artist Johannes Schramm creates luminous paintings that explore the ever-changing interplay of water, light, and reflection. With remarkable technical precision, his compositions transform pools, ponds, and floating vegetation into quiet, contemplative studies of perception and atmosphere. His work has been exhibited internationally in Germany, Spain, Denmark, and the United States.
Biography
Quiet, cool, and mysterious, the photorealistic paintings of German artist Johannes Schramm do not so much depict water as capture its elusive essence. A longtime swimmer, Schramm first became fascinated with aquatic scenes more than two decades ago, when he began photographing swimming pool entrances, particularly the handrails and staircases descending beneath the surface, during his regular swims. The point where solid structures meet the fluid world remains a central focus of his work. In his paintings, geometric forms and tangible elements such as pool tiles, lane lines, aquatic plants, and buoys intersect with shifting reflections and translucent layers, creating intricate visual compositions that blur the boundaries between what lies above and below the surface.
Alongside his evocative depictions of water, Schramm continually offers unexpected perspectives, sometimes positioning the viewer above a swimming pool, looking into its depths, and other times immersing them at water level, surrounded by rippling waves. Through his meticulous attention to light, reflection, and transparency, familiar scenes take on an almost abstract quality, inviting contemplation of the ever-changing nature of water. As Schramm describes, “rigid, strictly functional things begin to bend. The deeper they plunge, the more straight lines dissolve into curved lines, and shapes are disintegrated and thrown together.” This interplay of distorted forms and reflections lends his paintings a sense of movement and quiet mystery.
Born in 1965 in Munich, Germany, Schramm studied at the Kunsthochschule Kassel. His paintings have been exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at Caldwell Snyder Gallery in San Francisco and St. Helena, Galerie Terminus in Munich, and CCA Andratx in Mallorca, Spain. His work has also been featured in numerous group exhibitions and international art fairs throughout Europe and the United States.
Born
1965 Munich, Germany.
Education
1974 Kunsthochschule Kassel, Kassel, Germany
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 "Recent paintings" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, St Helena, California
2019 "Still waters" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
2018 "Pools and Ponds”, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
2016 "buoys-leaves-pools" Galerie Terminus, München
2015 "Still water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spain
2011 "Poolpositions" Galerie Terminus, München
2010 "poolside" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen
Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
2009 Galerie Wild, Zürich
2008 Galerie Roland Aphold, Basel
2006 "poolpaintings" Hilton Frankfurt
2005 "poolpaintings" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020 "H2O" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art
"Landschaft" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art
2019 "Shape, colours & form" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
2018 35th Anniversary Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
“Reflexions” Galerie Terminus, Munich Art Karlsruhe
Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary
2017 "Personal Structures" Palazzo Bembo, Venedig
"Wasser" Kunstverein Bad Nauheim
"Dreigestirn" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt
"16 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss", Marburg
Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami
2016 "15 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss" Marburg
Art Miami
2015 "Künstler der Galerie und Gäste" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt/Main
Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami
2014 "Just add water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spanien
"Nordart" Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf
"Artothek Kassel-eine Bestandsbesichtigung"
Documentahalle, Kassel
Art Karlsruhe, Art Southhampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami
2013 "Vertikal" Projekt 387 Quadratmeter, Kulturbahnhof Kassel
Art Southhampton, Art Miami
2012 Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss, Marburg (mit C. Canale und C. Kochs)
"first choice" Galerie Terminus, München
Art Southampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami
2011 "in the summertime" Galerie Wild, Zürich (mit N. Nolte und M. Ehmann)
"30 Jahre Galerie Wild" Galerie Wild, Zürich
"Mixed up" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen
Art Copenhagen, art fair Köln, Kunst 11 Zürich
2010 "behind the shadows" Galerie Wild, Zürich
"Klassentreffen" Galerie Liebau, Burghaun
Art Karlsruhe, Art Copenhagen, Kunst 10 Zürich
2009 Kurbad Jungborn / Museumsnacht Kassel
Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 09 Zürich
2008 "Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Zürich
"summerjam-made in 08" Galerie T40, Düsseldorf
Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen
Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 08 Zürich, Bridge Art Fair Miami
2007 "different perspectives" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main (E mit C. Erdmann)
Galerie Liebau, Burghaun (mit Schmitt-Menzel)
"Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
Art Karlsruhe
2006 "Kennen Sie jemanden hier?" Kulturbahnhof, Kassel
Art Karlsruhe
2004 "H2O" Galerie Schmalfuss, Marburg
"summer-spots" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
art fair Köln
Press
PRESS
Selected Artworks
Born
1965 Munich, Germany.
Education
1974 Kunsthochschule Kassel, Kassel, Germany
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 "Recent paintings" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, St Helena, California
2019 "Still waters" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
2018 "Pools and Ponds”, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
2016 "buoys-leaves-pools" Galerie Terminus, München
2015 "Still water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spain
2011 "Poolpositions" Galerie Terminus, München
2010 "poolside" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen
Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
2009 Galerie Wild, Zürich
2008 Galerie Roland Aphold, Basel
2006 "poolpaintings" Hilton Frankfurt
2005 "poolpaintings" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020 "H2O" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art
"Landschaft" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art
2019 "Shape, colours & form" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
2018 35th Anniversary Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco
“Reflexions” Galerie Terminus, Munich Art Karlsruhe
Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary
2017 "Personal Structures" Palazzo Bembo, Venedig
"Wasser" Kunstverein Bad Nauheim
"Dreigestirn" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt
"16 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss", Marburg
Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami
2016 "15 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss" Marburg
Art Miami
2015 "Künstler der Galerie und Gäste" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt/Main
Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami
2014 "Just add water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spanien
"Nordart" Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf
"Artothek Kassel-eine Bestandsbesichtigung"
Documentahalle, Kassel
Art Karlsruhe, Art Southhampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami
2013 "Vertikal" Projekt 387 Quadratmeter, Kulturbahnhof Kassel
Art Southhampton, Art Miami
2012 Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss, Marburg (mit C. Canale und C. Kochs)
"first choice" Galerie Terminus, München
Art Southampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami
2011 "in the summertime" Galerie Wild, Zürich (mit N. Nolte und M. Ehmann)
"30 Jahre Galerie Wild" Galerie Wild, Zürich
"Mixed up" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen
Art Copenhagen, art fair Köln, Kunst 11 Zürich
2010 "behind the shadows" Galerie Wild, Zürich
"Klassentreffen" Galerie Liebau, Burghaun
Art Karlsruhe, Art Copenhagen, Kunst 10 Zürich
2009 Kurbad Jungborn / Museumsnacht Kassel
Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 09 Zürich
2008 "Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Zürich
"summerjam-made in 08" Galerie T40, Düsseldorf
Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen
Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 08 Zürich, Bridge Art Fair Miami
2007 "different perspectives" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main (E mit C. Erdmann)
Galerie Liebau, Burghaun (mit Schmitt-Menzel)
"Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
Art Karlsruhe
2006 "Kennen Sie jemanden hier?" Kulturbahnhof, Kassel
Art Karlsruhe
2004 "H2O" Galerie Schmalfuss, Marburg
"summer-spots" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main
art fair Köln
Quiet, cool, and mysterious, the photorealistic paintings of German artist Johannes Schramm do not so much depict water as capture its elusive essence. A longtime swimmer, Schramm first became fascinated with aquatic scenes more than two decades ago, when he began photographing swimming pool entrances, particularly the handrails and staircases descending beneath the surface, during his regular swims. The point where solid structures meet the fluid world remains a central focus of his work. In his paintings, geometric forms and tangible elements such as pool tiles, lane lines, aquatic plants, and buoys intersect with shifting reflections and translucent layers, creating intricate visual compositions that blur the boundaries between what lies above and below the surface.
Alongside his evocative depictions of water, Schramm continually offers unexpected perspectives, sometimes positioning the viewer above a swimming pool, looking into its depths, and other times immersing them at water level, surrounded by rippling waves. Through his meticulous attention to light, reflection, and transparency, familiar scenes take on an almost abstract quality, inviting contemplation of the ever-changing nature of water. As Schramm describes, “rigid, strictly functional things begin to bend. The deeper they plunge, the more straight lines dissolve into curved lines, and shapes are disintegrated and thrown together.” This interplay of distorted forms and reflections lends his paintings a sense of movement and quiet mystery.
Born in 1965 in Munich, Germany, Schramm studied at the Kunsthochschule Kassel. His paintings have been exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at Caldwell Snyder Gallery in San Francisco and St. Helena, Galerie Terminus in Munich, and CCA Andratx in Mallorca, Spain. His work has also been featured in numerous group exhibitions and international art fairs throughout Europe and the United States.
Biography
Press
Upcoming Exhibition | Montecito
October 29 - November 25
German artist Johannes Schramm creates luminous paintings that explore the ever-changing interplay of water, light, and reflection. With remarkable technical precision, his compositions transform pools, ponds, and floating vegetation into quiet, contemplative studies of perception and atmosphere. His work has been exhibited internationally in Germany, Spain, Denmark, and the United States.
Johannes Schramm
Rigid, strictly functional things begin to bend, and the deeper they plunge, the more straight lines and rectangles dissolve into curved lines and shapes that are disintegrated and thrown together. It is disordered geometry, interspersed with reflections and light reflections, which I see when looking at the water surface.
Upcoming Exhibition | Montecito
October 29 - November 25
German artist Johannes Schramm creates luminous paintings that explore the ever-changing interplay of water, light, and reflection. With remarkable technical precision, his compositions transform pools, ponds, and floating vegetation into quiet, contemplative studies of perception and atmosphere. His work has been exhibited internationally in Germany, Spain, Denmark, and the United States.