Human Organ Painting
Text by Dr. Rainer Grimm
Kaikaoss is a truly exceptional painter. Born in 1965 in Kabul, he received his initial artistic training there before continuing his formal studies in Minsk, Belarus. He completed his degree in 1990 with a diploma in painting.
In his new series of works, the “Human-Organ Paintings,” he reveals to us a world that at first glance appears unfamiliar—even alien. These are perspectives on the human being that we are unaccustomed to; after all, we typically know only the outer surface of ourselves. A beautiful face, flawless skin—yet what lies beneath?
What lies beneath is what truly defines us. The heart pumps blood through the body, the lungs oxygenate it, the kidneys purify it, and so on. These vital processes occur silently and invisibly—we are usually unaware of them altogether.
Each of us carries within us these marvels, and yet few have a visual understanding of what they look like. In these works, the artist has made them visible for us all. He allows us to look behind the curtain. And what we see is surprisingly aesthetic—it is simply that we are not used to seeing ourselves from this perspective.
As always in Kaikaoss’ work, these paintings are executed with technical perfection. Yet within them, he also embeds subtle, often hidden elements that might not be apparent at first glance. The meticulously rendered organs are placed into unexpected, often surreal contexts, resulting in a sense of estrangement and deeper reflection.
One sees, for instance, a heart mounted upon a pale blue door with a lock; beneath this door lies a playing card—a heart ace. The image we generally associate with “heart” is quite different. A “heart” is not always just a heart.
In another painting, the viewer is drawn into a night sky. In the upper left corner, a full moon glows behind a passing cloud. In the foreground, an anatomically detailed cross-section of an eye gazes outward. To the right, a slightly askew frame displays a vivid green landscape. At the very front, resting on a small table, lies another playing card—this time, a diamond ace—beside a pair of spectacles.
Kaikaoss is a painter who masterfully unites divergent perspectives into seamless compositions. Through his hyperrealistic technique, he constructs new worlds—worlds that would not exist without his painting. With his Human-Organ Paintings, he succeeds in making visible that which remains hidden in all of us. And he does so with such conviction and power that we can only stand before these works in awe.
—Dr. Rainer Grimm
In Kaikaoss’ new series of works, the “Human-Organ Paintings,” he reveals to us a world that at first glance appears entirely different—strange and
unfamiliar. These are perspectives on the human being that we are not accustomed to; after all, we generally (fortunately?) only know the surface of ourselves. A beautiful face, flawless skin—but
what lies beneath?
Liebe Kunstfreundinnen und Kunstfreunde,
heute möchte ich Sie und Euch herzlich zu einer besonderen Ausstellung einladen!
Vor zwei Jahren hatte ich die Gelegenheit, im Institut für Anatomie der Universität zu Köln anatomische Zeichnungen von inneren Organen anzufertigen.
Inzwischen ist daraus eine Bildserie entstanden mit dem Titel
„Human Organ Painting“
Vernissage: 13.09.2019 um 18 Uhr
Ort: Institut für Anatomie II - Universität zu Köln
Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9 - 50931 Köln
Einführende Worte : Gisela Götz, Kunsthistorikerin
Begrüssung: Prof. Dr. Martin Scaal
Ausstellungsdauer: 13.09. – 15.09.2019
Öffnungszeiten: 11:00 bis 18:00
Pressetext
Kaikaoss: „Human Organ Paintings“
Vom 13. – 15.09.19 wird an einem ungewöhnlichen Ort die ebenso ungewöhnliche Ausstellung des Kölner Künstlers Kaikaoss zu sehen sein. Mit seinen in Öl gemalten Bildern von menschlichen Organen kehrt er an den Ort zurück, an dem er die anatomischen Vorzeichnungen angefertigt hat: an das Institut für Anatomie der Universität zu Köln.
New paintings Human organe- Each painting has a title and the size of every painting is 80x80 cm.
Dahinter verbirgt sich das, was uns eigentlich ausmacht, unser Herz pumpt das Blut durch den
Körper, die Lunge versorgt das Blut mit Sauerstoff, die Nieren filtern alles usw. Alles das läuft so ab, dass wir normalerweise nichts davon bemerken. Hier weiter lesen....
With a parrot-oil on canvas.60x80cm In the garden. oil-canvas.60x80cm