Ulrich Gleiter (b. 1977) is noted for his landscapes. His style is sometimes reminiscent of German expressionism and the Russian impressionists. He first studied at the Dresden Academy of Arts and later at the Repin Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His work has been recognized with awards in the USA and in Russia and has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur, PleinAir Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, American Art Collector, Press of the Russian Academy of Art, and Monaceli Studio Press.
“Painting is like a diary for me,” Ulrich says. “As the years advance, recent paintings are different from the ones before. And they should be. Paintings reflect feelings and evolve with experiences in life. The subject matter is secondary. Let it be a landscape or a portrait, what I paint on the canvas, more than anything else is about how I felt during that very moment as I stood there.
“During my years when I studied at the Academy of Arts in Russia and lived in Saint Petersburg, I loved to paint the alleys, gardens, and grand panoramas of this beautiful city. Every corner and street was filled with memories. Since 2022, as the Ukraine invasion began, I have been back a few times. And I noticed for myself, although physically, I might be at the same site as before, the world and time have changed everything since. I could not possibly paint there, it is void. Like a balancing act between my memories and the feeling of how everything that surrounds me turned foreign, although physically, I’m present. Painting nature – winter, snow, or the tundra vegetation of the northern lands in the summertime, and foliage in autumn – these motives keep inspiring me. It is timeless. Paint what you love.”
Approximately 20 of his works are on view from July 4 through August 31, 2024, in Berlin at Sandau and Leo Gallery, where he has exhibited his art since 2012. Included in the exhibition are works by Michael Jastram and Doris Leue.
“I’m drawn to the landscapes of the north and winter,” Ulrich says. “I have my inspiration from the great Canadian painters from the Group of Seven, German impressionists such as Lovis Corinth, and many Russian painters, understandably. Another body of work is from Brittany, its coastline with the Atlantic Ocean and villages. Other paintings are from Spain’s Andalucia, and scenes of Berlin itself.”
Ulrich tells us that several of the Brittany works were painted with the German artist group “Norddeutsche Realisten” (“North German Realists”). Later this year, he’ll be a part of their exhibit at the Heikendorf Museum. He adds that the group is renowned in Germany for its impressionist painters and members are also based in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Finland.
In addition to the Sandau and Leo Gallery exhibition, you can find Ulrich Gleiter’s works in the following:
- June – Symposium with the “Norddeutsche Realisten” (For a group exhibition in 2025 with Galerie AC Noffke, Ratzeburg (Hamburg), Germany
- August 30 – September 17 – 20th Anniversary Exhibition. (Group). Gallery 1261, Denver
- September 14- November – Heikendorf Museum, Kiel, Germany. Group exhibition. Paintings of Brittany, France. Together with the “Norddeutsche Realisten”
- September 20 – October 8 – Solo exhibition, Gallery 1261 (also in Summer 2025)
- December – Group exhibition, “Naturalism Now”. Gallery 1261
