Veins in the leaf
Bremond Capela is pleased to present the exhibition of artist Waldemar Zimbelmann, titled Veins in the leaf, a poetic and evocative title that invites viewers to delve into the depths of material, memory, and thought. Like the veins of trees and leaves, each of Zimbelmann’s works unfolds as a complex network of channels—an arborescence where personal memories, literary influences, and political discourse are interwoven. Born in Kazakhstan in the 1980s, the artist translates a profound reflection on the passage of time and the evolution of identity into his work, all while playing with the boundaries between figuration and abstraction.
Zimbelmann’s art is characterized by an intellectual quest, where various layers of memory and meaning intermingle. Through his work, he brings forth figures and forms that oscillate between clarity and evanescence. His paintings, structured in multiple layers, result from a process of superimposing coats of paint, where each removal of color reveals a new dimension of the image—like a leaf whose veins slowly emerge beneath the surface.
This technique borders on sculpture. Starting from drawing, Zimbelmann meticulously shapes his works, transforming painting into a three-dimensional space where each layer, each brushstroke, becomes a continuous search for meaning. His unique approach creates a visual language that is both sensual and dreamlike, where the painting comes to life and unfolds like a waking dream.
The artist invites us to look into the very heart of painting, to discover the layers that overlap and intertwine, while giving new substance to the material. At every stage of the process, forms and figures emerge—sometimes in almost invisible fluidity, other times as moving actors. The human figure blends into its background, fusing into a single image. This dissolved corporeality creates a confusion between time and space, like a metaphor for constant transformation, where bodies explore the tension between place and rootedness. The faces that appear in Zimbelmann’s work are silent yet powerful witnesses. Their gazes seem to pierce the darkness, giving the characters a strong sense of presence, as if they were trying to speak to us from beyond the limits of the image.
For Waldemar Zimbelmann, art is a personal and relentless pursuit, one that escapes theoretical analysis. The artist does not aim to provide universal answers but rather invites viewers to explore personal and psychological narratives. His work, deeply introspective, addresses human relationships in all their complexity—as possibility and constraint, freedom and submission, matter and spirit. Through this process, he offers each viewer the opportunity to confront the painted material directly and to engage in an intimate reflection on the relationship between the individual and the surrounding world.
Waldemar Zimbelmann (born in Akadyr in 1984, lives and works in Karlsruhe) studied at the Academy for Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, Germany. His work was recently the subject of a retrospective at the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Germany. His pieces have also been shown at the MAN Museo d’Arte Provincia di Nuoro, Italy; Wilhelm-Hack-Museum & Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Germany; Baden-Württemberg Städtisches Kunstmuseum Singen, Germany, among others.