In Conversation: Moritz Moll x Maeve Doyle, Maddox Artistic Director

Making his Maddox debut at our Gstaad gallery this February, Moritz Moll’s intimate depictions of friends and family, captured in quiet, unobserved moments, are inspired by experiences and memories from his childhood. On the eve of the exhibition opening, our Artistic Director, Maeve Doyle , sat down with the contemporary figurative artist from Munich to find out more about his practice, his purpose and the pervading sense of nostalgia that accompanies his works. 

My paintings depict isolated moments of calm and intimacy, with the neutral spaces surrounding my subjects representing an absent state. Ripped out of the moment they’re in, they move like sleepwalkers [...]

Maeve Doyle: Did you always want to be an artist, Moritz?

Moritz Moll: My mother always wanted security for me, so she encouraged me to pursue a career that offered that. The person who really understood my ambition to become an artist was my aunt. An architect and very free-spirited, she knew the path of an artist and where it might lead for me.

MD: Before you became a full-time artist, you were a graphic designer. What compelled you to make the transition?

Moritz Moll: I first studied communication design, which led me to working for a marketing agency. It was during my time there that I applied to study fine art in Munich. I always felt very restricted creating for clients and had a strong desire to be as free as I am right now. It was after I graduated that I decided it was now or never, so I quit my job to focus fully on art. 

MD: What influences you culturally and artistically? 

Moritz Moll: My practice is shaped by my graphic design studies. It was the first time I had come into contact with people who were designing visually, and from a colour perspective, the way I approach my paintings is very similar to my graphic designs. In terms of artists, Alex Katz has been a big influence, and Matisse of course. Culturally, the great German painters Georg Baselitz, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter and Anselm Kiefer have also played their part in making me the artist I am today. [...]

Read the full article here: In Conversation: Maeve Doyle x Moritz Moll