German Artist Christopher Lehmpfuhl Showcases Hand-Painting Technique in Jakarta

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com—German artist Christopher Lehmpfuhl has brought a distinctive approach to capturing landscapes to Jakarta. Rather than using brushes, he applies paint directly to the canvas with his hands and fingers, seeking to convey the physical and emotional experience of the places he paints.

The technique was highlighted during the inaugural Artist Talk held by the SBY Art Community (SAC) as part of its second exhibition, “Art for Peace and a Better Future: Collaboration,” in Jakarta.

At the event, held on August 19, 2026, Lehmpfuhl shared his experience of using the hand-painting technique for more than 20 years, particularly in his en plein air practice, or painting outdoors directly from the landscape.

The exhibition is being held from August 18 to 30, 2026, at the Galeri Emiria Soenassa and Oesman Effendi at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta. It features 150 paintings by 27 artists from different generations and cultural backgrounds, including 29 works by Lehmpfuhl.

For Lehmpfuhl, en plein air offers a fundamentally different experience from painting in a studio. “Painting outdoors, or en plein air—a French term meaning ‘in the open air’—is often considered an old-fashioned style. It was first popularized by French painter Claude Monet and German painter Max Liebermann,” Lehmpfuhl said.

He explained that painting outdoors presents both challenges and advantages. Artists have to contend not only with changing weather conditions, but also rain, snow, light and color, all of which can shape the emotional experience of creating a work.

According to Lehmpfuhl, these conditions create an experience that is markedly different from painting in a studio.

It was through his en plein air practice that Lehmpfuhl discovered the technique that would later become one of his artistic signatures: applying paint with his fingers.

Known for his en plein air paintings built up with thick layers of paint, or impasto, Lehmpfuhl often applies paint directly with his hands. His touch replaces the brush, making pressure, movement and texture integral parts of the creative process.

For Lehmpfuhl, the technique is more than a visual choice. Working with his hands allows him to establish a more intimate connection between his body, the material and the landscape before him.

His paintings, he explained, do not simply record what the eye sees, but also reflect how a place is physically experienced and translated into a work of art.

“Painting with my hands is like sculpting. I use my fingers to fully capture the emotion of each stroke. For me, it provides an extraordinary experience compared with painting with a brush,” Lehmpfuhl said.

En Plein Air as a “New School”

Lehmpfuhl’s approach has also prompted reflection from Indonesian artist Naufal Abshar, who is participating in this year’s SAC exhibition.

For Naufal, en plein air feels like a “new school.” He has primarily worked in the studio, which he considers a more controlled environment than working directly in the outdoors.

“En plein air has many layers and challenges that can influence a work, from the weather to the landscape itself. The result naturally has a different feel,” Naufal said.

He sees the experience as something new, particularly for artists like himself who have spent much of their careers working in studios.

“For me, this is a ‘new school,’ especially for an artist like me who does a lot of work in the studio,” he said.

For the SBY Art Community, bringing together artists with different backgrounds and experiences is about more than painting techniques.

Artist and lecturer at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta, I Gede Arya Sucitra, said the en plein air practice during the preparation and production of Art for Peace and a Better Future: Collaboration created a sense of connectivity and shared cultural experience.

A total of 21 artists from the SBY Art Community created en plein air works alongside Christopher Lehmpfuhl.

The process provided a space for Indonesian and German artists to connect through the shared experience of creating art directly in the outdoors.

Art as a Platform for Jakarta-Berlin Collaboration

The “Art for Peace and a Better Future: Collaboration” exhibition is not only intended to convey messages of peace and aspirations for a better future through art, particularly painting.

It also forms part of the celebrations marking the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence and the 499th anniversary of Jakarta.

As a global city, Jakarta has a sister city relationship with Berlin. At the exhibition, Lehmpfuhl participated as a collaborator and officially represented Kornfeld Galerie, Berlin.

Running through August 30, the exhibition brings together 27 artists from different generations and cultural backgrounds through 150 works.

In addition to featuring Lehmpfuhl as a collaborator, the exhibition presents 29 of his paintings to the Jakarta public.

The exhibition is supported by the Jakarta Provincial Government, Kornfeld Galerie Berlin, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Creative Economy, and a number of arts and cultural partners.

The support reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Jakarta’s position as an international center for the visual arts while creating broader opportunities for cultural collaboration between Jakarta and Berlin.