RTL Today - Artist portrait: Dan Neuhengen - the path of a serendipitous artist

I won’t disclose how long ago I have met Dan Neuhengen, as it would likely hint to my age… and his. So let’s just say we’ve known each other for a little while.

Dan started out in the 80s as a trained chef — a good one I might add — at a financial services company. At the time Luxembourg’s financial industry was experiencing a boom and soon this entrepreneurial young man was offered to switch his chef’s hat for a desk job in portfolio management; a career that he pursued successfully for over two decades in different companies and roles.

While enjoying art, Dan wasn’t really active in that space; although he had won a prize aged fourteen at a comic strip competition. It wasn’t until the early 2010 that he decided to take up an easel, canvas and paint brushes. As is often the case, at a moment in time where he was going through a major life change. Painting could have remained an enjoyable outlet. But luckily for us, this would mark the beginning of a prolific artistic production.

Dan doesn’t see himself as an artist, though: “That would be boastful”, he says. “I am not a fulltime artist; I am not under the pressure to create for a living; if I’m not inspired for a while, well that’s it, nothing happens”. Rather, he sees his himself as an accidental creator. And his artistic journey has indeed been marked so far by a series of random events. From the circumstances of his debut, to fortuitous encounters - such as the organizers of a jazz festival who casually stepped into an exhibition space while he was setting up and asked if they could you use his art for their poster – or the unconventional, including a rundown swimming pool, Dan likes to re-purpose for his exhibitions.

Dan’s early works are characterised by subtle, pastel tones and paint strokes, depicting groups of silhouettes that seem to melt into each other. There is a certain sense of melancholy that transpires from these early pictures, but at the same time a touch of self-irony, which very much reflects the essence of the artist’s character. Over time his paintings have become more expressive and powerful, often showcasing an explosion of primary colours, punctuated by strong black paint strokes and sometimes provoking yet ironic messages or question marks. The silhouettes are still there, but they have become protagonists of a surrealist environment rather than figures somewhat lost in an empty space.

The artist might consider himself to be a non-artist; personally I find Dan’s evolution as remarkable as his humble demeanour when it comes to his art. And I am definitely looking forward to his next burst of creativity!

Three questions to Dan Neuhengen

B&W or rather colour?

It depends, black and white stands for purity, for sobriety; I can strive in a black and white environment for a while, and then plunge back into a more colourful universe.

Is art about the artist disclosing his inner being?
It can be… but at the end of the day it’s a matter of interpretation, a trade-off between what you put into your art and what your viewers perceive.

A general thought that you would like to share?
Maybe the time has come to decomplexify artistic creation and just enjoy it.