Biography

1992–1995 Study at the University of the Arts, Berlin. Fine Arts, Sculpture
1995 Master student (“Meisterschüler”)
Detlef Waschkau lives and works in Berlin.

Detlef Waschkau transforms everyday urban life into artistic works made of wood and color, thereby blurring the boundaries between painting and sculpture. Scenes from Berlin inspire him, as do snapshots from Japanese and Chinese cities where he spent several working residencies.
Waschkau intricately carves house façades, people hurrying through streets, and what appear to be almost secretly captured close-ups of passersby into wood. He colors the reliefs sparingly and interrupts them with lines and areas of color, creating the impression of collages. In this way, Waschkau achieves sensitive compositions in which the wood functions simultaneously as both material and motif.