Martin Wehmer (b.1966 in Blankenstein J. Hattingen, Germany) is by almost any definition a painter—and one who embraces the traditional craft of his medium by way of extraordinary skill on the one hand, and by his concise and intellectual investigations, pursued with equally extraordinary diligence, on the other. His philosophical conviction explicates the relevance of the work of the artist in his socio-political square. His work originates from the annals of art history, specifically concerning itself with material, picture, plane, and space—issues distinctive to painting. Wehmer is a manufacturer of an artifice that relies on a socially relevant commodity that stays connected through his personal desire and his predisposition. His intention is not to dematerialize nor contextualize the art to advance how we define art-making today, but he consciously embraces the restrictive property of painting. The painting therefore dictates the artistic activity that has produced it and becomes a fetishistic object of desire.
“Painting = Box” is a comprehensive solo exhibition. Wehmer believes a box is similar to a sampler that contains different types of elements; likewise, a painting is like a box that includes and conveys a whole array of different messages. Through the comparison between painting and box, Wehmer intends to show the multi-dimension in the way of painting and the perspective of observing a painting. He leaves the boldest of traces on the canvas with his painting knives, giving his painting a solid contour and further emphasizing the boldness and mystery in the visualisation. Through appreciating Martin’s paintings, audience can get to know his philosophy of art.