Collection: Sebastian Kuban

Sebastian Kuban lives and works as a freelance painter and graphic artist in Konstanz. He studied in Hamburg and combines elements of pop culture, fashion, subcultures, and digital media in his work. His pieces emerge from a multifaceted sketching process in which cultural fragments merge into dense visual worlds.

Although his painting style may initially appear playful or unrefined, it conceals a calculated approach. Sebastian Kuban's style is reminiscent of Art Brut , but goes beyond intuitive spontaneity. The expressive use of color and the cartoonish visual language are deliberately chosen to reflect complex themes such as social norms, digital overstimulation, and cultural identity.

Thematically, his works connect to socially critical traditions in art, such as those seen in the 1980s with the Neo-Expressionists or in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Kuban uses pop-cultural signs, typography, and religious and mythical symbols, which he translates into a visual language that oscillates between irony, critique, and exaggeration.

His paintings often appear playful, yet conceal a deeper meaning: beneath the vibrant surface lie serious, often political, themes. This tension between lightness and profundity lends his work a unique power.

Kuban was, among other things, part of the Urban Art Gallery in Konstanz (2022), where he addressed climate protection issues. He also exhibited at the Affenfaust Gallery in Hamburg and designed album covers for the Berlin musician Audio88.

The exhibition ›Love Affairs‹ presents works by Sebastian Kuban for the first time at the Lachenmann Art Gallery.

Photo: Milena Schilling