Presented on large-scale canvases and depicted in vibrant, almost lurid colours, Kinki Texas’s subjects may appear to have been quickly dashed off but have in fact been developed over a period of months. Their lengthy process of creation is only revealed on closer inspection, when the different stages of the picture’s evolution can gradually be traced. While Kinki Texas has a particular theme and subject matter in mind when he begins working on his pictures, he also reacts to what happens during the painting process, with the result that the development of the images can take unexpected turns. He paints, sprays, writes, wipes and scrapes away until he reaches a state where any additional painterly touch would overload the image, but any missing one would make it seem unfinished. The heroic figures in “Kinki Texas Space”, this is what the artist calls his creative universe, which draws as much inspiration from the comic genre as it does from television’s History Channel, employing means of depiction borrowed from graffiti and trash culture as well as from centuries of history painting, their appearance ranges from slightly strange to truly bizarre; some of them have a warlike and at times rather frightening demeanour; they confront the viewer with loaded guns, pose in suits of armour with swords drawn or like Native Americans with headdresses, bows and arrows.
Exhibitions
Solo show (selection)
2019
T2, duo show with Francesco Tricarico, Fabbrica EOS Gallery, Milano (I)
Rodeorant empty, Anja Knoess art gallery, Köln (D)
2017
Mental Shiloh Supper Club, Galleria Alessandro Casciaro, Bolzano (I)
2016
Battlestar Germania, Galerie Gerken, Berlin (D)
2015
24h Cinema, Oxholm Gallery, Copenhagen (DK)
2014
Beutekunst, Projektraum Knut Osper, Köln (D)
2013
1000 Ponies are not enough, Galleria Goethe, Bolzano (IT)
2012
Sad King Billy, Galerie Martina Kaiser, Köln (D)
2011
Landscapes of Power, Galerie Schriever, Köln (D)
2010
Cannibale Grande, Galleria Bianca Maria Rizzi, Milano (IT)
dead love, Galleria Contemporanea, Parma (IT)
Anti-Anti-Kunst, Cuxhavener Kunstverein, Cuxhaven (D)
2009
Kinki Texas, Galerie Schriever, Köln (D)
2008
Low, Low, Low Society, Galleria Goethe 2, Bolzano (IT)
Texas Anno Zero, Il Torchio Galleria d’Arte, Milano (IT)
2007
Tuoni e fulmini visivi nel Kinki-Texas-Space, Galleria Bianca Maria Rizzi, Milano (IT)
Charge Festival, Bialystok, (PL)
2003
Rio Lobo Motion, Saloon, Ghost Town Lobo, Texas (US)
2002
Kinki Texas, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main (D)
Group exhibition (selection)
2016
Arteforte, Forte superiore di Nago, Nago-Torbole (IT)
Blitzeis, Galerie Anja Knoess, Köln (D)
2015
Artist of the gallery, Galleria Goethe, Bolzano (IT)
Ursprung, Muster-Meier- Contemporary Fine Arts, Berna (CH)
Heiter bis wolkig, Galerie Anja Knoess, Köln (D)
2014
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?, Stux Gallery, N.Y. (US)
Psychogram, Galleri Oxholm, Copenhagen, (DK)
THISISNOTASHOP, Temporärer Kunstverein, Bremen (D)
1964–2014, History of a Gallery, Galleria Goethe, Bolzano (IT)
2013
New Positions – New Work, Projektraum Knut Osper, Köln(D)
Schlaglichter, Artdocks, Bremen (D)
2012
Goethe goes to Goethe2, Galleria Goethe2, Bolzano (I)
Draw the line, Galerie Liebkranz, Berlin (D)
Privatbesitz, Städtischen Galerie im Buntentor, Bremen (D)
2011
In Bewegung, with Francesco Bocchini, Galleria Goethe, Bolzano (IT)
7. Bremer Kunstfrühling, BBK, Gleishalle Güterbahnhof, Bremen (D)
Highlights, Cuxhavener Kunstverein, Cuxhaven (D)
Young Europaen Landscape, Galerie Wolfsen, Aalborg (DK)
2010
Psycho Pompös, with M. Zupika, Gdansk City Gallery, Gdansk (PL)
Com X, KRO Art Contemporary, Wien (A)
32. Bremer Förderpreis für Bildende Kunst 2009, Städtischen Galerie, Bremen (D)
2009
6. Bremer Kunstfrühling, Gleishalle Güterbahnhof, Bremen (D)
Footage on the move, Ruimte Frank Boni, Antwerpen (B)
Urban Attitudes, Videoinstallation, Tube Gallery Stazione Loreto Metropolitana, Milano (IT)
2008
La Nocturne Rive droite, Galerie Memmi, Paris (F)
Teaser – a short preview into 2008, Galleria Goethe2, Bolzano (IT)
2007
Segni Viaggio nel disegno contemporaneo, Endemica Arte Contemporanea, Roma
(IT)
Deviant Art Festival Kunstfestival, Konsthallen Trollhättan, Trollhättan (S)
Kargart Video Festivali, Kargat Exhibition Space, Istanbul (TR)
2006
Etnie, Palazzetto Durini, Milano, (IT)
Hansepol, Hamburg (D)
Allarmi 2, Caserma De Cristoforis, Como (IT)
Fuoco Amico, Chiostro di S.Eufemia, Como (IT)
Mangiatori di Patate, with Julia von Troschke, Galleria Bianca Maria Rizzi, Milano (IT)
2005
Tattoo-Studio, Installation with Swann Schilling, Profile Intermedia 8, Bremen (D)
Unsere kleine Farm, with Anja Fussbach, Galerie im Park, Bremen (D)
2004
Screen Spirit, Städtische Galerie, Bremen (D)
Ecktion, Kunstraum Ecktion/Sielwall, Bremen (D)
2000
Eat me Texas, Galerie Fruchtig, Frankfurt am Main (D)
Elvis Art, Tip Top INN – Galerie, Bremen (D)
Biography
Holger Meier, alias Kinki Texas was born 1969 in Bremen (D); 2005 Master‘s degree in cultural studies and philosophy at the University of Bremen. He lives and works in Bremen.