Interview with Sandy Lang

Dig. M-series, Sandy Lang, Oil On Canvas, 40 x 40 x 1 cm

Artist Biography

Sandy Lang is a self taught figurative artist based in Frankfurt, Germany. She developed her work for several years before she decided to show her paintings to a public world outside of her studio. After attending group exhibitions in Berlin, Prague, Portugal and the US, her first solo show „Entourage of Light“ took place in Berlin 2016. While she prefers to work alone in her nightly studio, Sandy also worked in arty collaborations, including production design for two short films. Between 2019 and 2020 she provided six paintings for a temporary art group that worked on the myth of Marsyas, which resulted in a beautiful soiree with poetry and music just before the 2020 lockdown. Since then she was able to take part in several virtual exhibitions and has been featured in art magazines and directories. Currently she is creating a large collection of figurative paintings on the topic of human attitudes towards strange encounters, which is planned as a solo show for next year.

What were your first experiences with art? How did you learn your craft?

My first experiences with art are shaped by the dark fairytales of my childhood and their illustrations, later followed by a fascination with paintings in old masters style, whose depiction of the human figure in strong light-dark contrast attracted me. The most important art influence for my own work was to become acquainted with modern art, especially Symbolism and Surrealism. To learn that it is possible to express something invisible or imaginary like dreams and feelings was kind of a turning point that changed my work from this child who always liked to paint in the direction that I follow till today: to create paintings, that depict something that represents itself but also contains a meaning beyond that, displayed and hidden at the same time.

I started to paint the human figure in a symbolistic manner as a self taught artist and developed my work over the last 27 years, though I only began to show my paintings in public around ten years ago. While I do not have a formal training in art, I educated myself in Art History and hold a degree in History and Cultural Studies. These are also parts of my artistic inspirations through their exploration of humans and historical patterns over time.

You are known for figurative work that has an intertwined narrative aspect and explores themes of human dualities. What attracted you to this subject matter?

In my work I imagine the human figure as allegory of the human condition, meaning our dualism of being both: good and bad, beautiful and cruel. Combining recurring figures with symbols and putting them in compositions is my way to examine the ambivalence I feel towards people and their relations.

Along these lines my paintings are inspired by thoughts and ideas I gathered over the years: historical images, dream analysis, poetry and memory. The link between these inspirations is the narrativ aspect of a tale that is told. Which means to me, to transform something experienced and observed into a story which gives memory a form. Painting is one form of this storytelling and enables me in the combination of certain figures and elements to refer to a possible or imaginary story between them. It is my very personal approach to understand the world and us as beings.

Fanclub, Sandy Lang, Oil On Canvas, 50 x 50 cm

Tell us about your process and the materials you work with.

I started out with gouache colour on small scale paintings but later switched to oil colour on larger scales for their brilliance in the depiction of light-dark contrasts, that are supposed to transport the aspect of dualism. I am deeply fascinated by the idea of a simultaneity and imagine memory as overlapping layers, which can show or hide bygone incidents more or less transparent or opaque. Thus I built my more recent paintings in many layers, that sometimes show what lies in the layers underneath. This effect is created by a use of masking fluid and masking papers that spare regions in the paintings first layers, which are supposed to be visible later. Though the figures often need the space of a large scale format, I love painting with small brushes, since I love the interaction of bigger areas and tiny details.

I mostly work at more than one painting at the same time, which slows the process for each painting but enables me to get some distance from one painting while tending to another. That works especially well for me while painting in series.

You're currently working towards a forthcoming solo exhibition next year. What do you have planned for it and what details can you share with our readers?

Currently I am working on a series of about twenty five paintings on the subject of the human attitude towards strange encounters. Those paintings are mostly based on historical images of people, that I compose into relations to indicate a certain narrative. Each painting of the series depicts an element of strangeness to suggest how people could possibly react to being faced with something unfamiliar.

Based on the connecting narrative, the show is planned as solo exhibition with a catalogue to highlight the thoughts and inspirations behind the idea.

Polonaise. M-series, Sandy Lang, Oil On Canvas, 30 x 30 x 1 cm

Is there one artwork that you would consider your most 'successful' or your favorite? What is it about that piece that makes it so special to you?

If I have to choose, that could be a painting from 2017, titled: “All those big thoughts and me like...“ While it contains all the elements, that are important to me, like the human figure, symbols and light, the process of creating this painting had also been one of those rare occasions where everything just fell into place. It actually felt like it kind of painted itself in a very short time, while otherwise I need weeks and months to finish a work. The message it contains is also very important and personal. It tells about dealing with feelings we often face in life but especially as artists of being somehow inadequate. Meaning the constant struggle of having to face this feeling to even be able to create while feeling vulnerable at the same time. She is one of my most favorite figures and it was not easy to let her go as it often is with favorite paintings.

What else are you looking forward to in 2025 and beyond?

Regarding the planned exhibition by the end of next year, I am looking forward to finally see all the paintings, which are currently in very different states of progress in my studio, together in one place at some point. I can‘t wait to see how the idea works out. Apart from this I am looking forward to being more active at in-person group exhibitions. While I appreciate the possibility to show in virtual shows over the last years, especially since the pandemic, it will be great to be at more events where we could meet as artists and art lovers in person.