Gray Baby Elephant and the Pink Balloon Painting

Fabian Kochendoerfer, a versatile artist, uses oil paint on canvas as well as instant film photography. His creations, characterized by his unique style and search for truth, are an expression of his intense meditation experiences. The feelings and moments he captures convey a clear message: "ART IS ALIVE !" My Story: I always wanted to be a true artist. To create real art, I needed to know "The Truth". What is "The Truth"? What is real art? Who am I? So, I went to university to study philosophy and art history. But professors could not tell me "The Truth" nor explain real art. After years, I became so frustrated and angry that I "spoke" to the universe: "If you don't give me "The Truth" - I cannot accept continuing to live a meaningless life in ignorance!” I intuitively know what beauty is and when something is true art. I have an eye for that. I can sense it instantly. I can also tell when something is true or a lie and fake. I was determined to find it or die trying. I found my answers outside the university, going my own path and not following the herd. I found what real art is in an intense experience of realization that made me cry at an exhibition in Zurich. Real art is something "alive" and not something dead behind glass in a museum. And I found what "The Truth" is in an experience of self-realization in a meditation session in 1999. I was searching for "The Truth" and found myself. Life is funny. "The Truth" is not thinkable. You can only be it. I dropped out of university successfully on that same night to only focus on creating art. I moved to the countryside, experimented with oil painting, and finally bought a Polaroid camera and film because I could not afford a professional camera. I was going through a massive transformation of only meditating and creating art, experiencing depression, and self-doubt, and finally finding my medium and style. Finding "The Truth" in myself and creating art - I saved my life. I was 23 in the year 2000. It was the most challenging but best year of my life. I kept experimenting until I believed in myself enough to get into a school to study art. I graduated with a diploma from the Merz Academy in Germany and a Master of Arts from the University of Portsmouth in England in 2005. It took me 15 years to overcome self-doubt and perfectionism and finally show my art publicly. I am a true artist since 1999. I know who I am. I know what I want. And I create original art.