Collection: Franz Stein

Franz Stein (*1989 in Bayreuth, Germany) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich from 2018 to 2025 in the class of Gregor Hildebrandt and became his master student in 2023. Supported by an Erasmus scholarship, he spent the academic year 2023–2024 at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in the class of Daniel Richter .

Stein's paintings emerge from a process of layering numerous thin acrylic glazes on canvas. Overlapping lines, strokes, dots, and areas of color—executed with oil pastels, charcoal, and spray paint—form the visual structure of his works. His pieces move between conscious composition, intuitive impulse, and spontaneous freedom, unfolding a visual rhythm that evokes an almost magical harmony.

Alongside the two-dimensional plane of his paintings, Stein explores spatial depth in his work with carpets, which occupy a distinct artistic position within his oeuvre. Hand-tufted in pure new wool, these works play with varying pile heights, yarn structures, and densities, creating a tactile, sensual experience. They invite viewers to physically enter and interact with an expanded pictorial space. The pictorial worlds of the canvas are thus transformed into immersive, walk-in environments, opening up a boundless visual field.

Franz Stein's works have been presented in renowned institutions and exhibition venues, including the Haus der Kunst, Munich; the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; the Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin; and Artist Space, New York. Further exhibitions have taken place in Hamburg and Vienna. His works are held in the collections of, among others, the Korff Foundation Ilmmünster and the State Graphic Collection Munich.