Ulrich Gleiter (b. 1977) is noted for his landscapes. The painter’s artistic path first led him to study at the Dresden Academy of Arts in Germany, and later at the Repin Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the influence of which is visible in his paintings, reminiscent of German Expressionism and the Russian Impressionists. His work has been recognized with awards internationally including in the USA, along with features in numerous publications like 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 your experiences and feelings, they tell your life through images. 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. I have been back a few times to Saint Petersburg since 2022, that is, when the Ukraine conflict marked a turning point for Europe. And I noticed that although physically, I might be at the same sites as before, the world and time have changed everything since. Constantly, there’s this rift between my memories and the feeling of how everything that surrounds me turned foreign. I could not possibly just paint there as before, as if nothing had happened. It feels void. The opposite is true for 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 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 France.
In addition to the Sandau and Leo Gallery exhibition, you can find Ulrich Gleiter’s works in the following:
- 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 (and coming in 2025)
- December – Group exhibition, curated by Rose Fredrick, Gallery 1261
