Life in Berlin with Contemporary Abstract Artist Alexia Vogel

After an 18-month break, I’ve finally returned to painting, and it’s been wonderful. After giving birth to my son, George, I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to pick up a brush again - I was completely enamoured with him. So it’s both a relief and a joy that the urge to paint has returned. This past month in the studio has felt like heaven. I feel liberated, refreshed, and thrilled to be back at the canvas, engaging my body in this way again.

 

 

I also have a new appreciation for time. I only get about four hours a day in the studio, and surprisingly, those hours seem to fly by and stretch out at the same time. Four hours doesn’t sound like much, especially compared to the 6 - 10 hours I used to spend at the studio, with only 4 - 5 of those actually spent painting. Back then, if someone told me I’d only have four hours total, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. I thought I needed more to really get into the flow. But that’s changed. Time feels precious and deeply valued now, an obvious truth, perhaps, but a revelation to me nonetheless!

 

 

Setting up a new studio has been such fun. I cycle there each morning after dropping George at daycare. It’s a short five-minute ride along a busy road that leads into a quiet, charming street with old architecture and a bright, early morning sky. My studio is small but filled with beautiful natural light and shared with a fantastic group of women from all over the world.

Recently, I visited the Frank Auerbach retrospective at the Michael Werner Gallery here in Berlin. It was my first time seeing his work in person, and his thick, impasto paintings were exhilarating. The cityscapes and portraits pulsed with energy - you could almost hear the scenes he painted. I was especially drawn to E.O.W. Looking into the Fire, so layered with paint it felt sculptural. Though abstract at first glance, the rich colours and physical texture evoked the crackle and glow of a fire - almost as if Auerbach was layering paint the way one builds and tends a flame.

Back in the studio, I’ve been listening to Trevor Noah’s podcast, What Now? It’s become a comforting companion, bringing a little slice of home with it. The show blends serious, poignant conversations with humour and fresh perspectives. I often find myself thinking, “Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way before” - a sentiment that mirrors the creative process itself. Art, like conversation, is about offering new ways of seeing the world.

As the hours pass - brush marks made, tea drunk, chats shared - it’s time to pack up. I’ve finally learned to keep a tidy, organized space, which makes it easy to leave. At 12:05, I head out to pick up George - my favourite part of the day.

Some works in progress in the studio. I’ve been working from some small watercolours I did while on maternity leave. I now start all of my works in acrylic, building up the watery layers slowly. I will then work into the paintings final layers with oil which I am so looking forward to!