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Sebastian Kruger was born in 1963 in Hamelin, Germany. Kruger's father, an architect inadvertently sparked an interest in his three year old son, after he took him to see a Disney movie. Kruger became obsessed with drawing the image Donald Duck and this fascination with art continued through his adolescence eventually compelling him to enroll in the Braunschweig University of Fine Arts after high school. But, rigid instruction did not agree with Kruger and he bided his time instead drawing caricatures of instructors and classmates which all received enormous praise. So, while he did not receive good grades, he was permitted stay in school, and his unique drawing ability became the foundation for his illustrious career. After graduation, he began his career as an illustrator for German publications which mushroomed to covers of major magazines and commissioned "Krugerized" portraits of the rich and famous. It was not until Kruger was introduced to the Rolling Stones that Kruger's art took a different track. Kruger identified with the rebelliousness and the darker anti-establishment aspects of famous band. In addition, Kruger found instant fodder for inspiration with the Stones' charismatic personalities, not to mention Kruger's utter fascination with their intriguing physical appearances. They became fast friends and an integral part of his work even to this day. Kruger considers himself a portrait painter who needs to know everything he can about the subject before he begins to work. He absorbs all the personality's information through their photos, videos, films, books, cds, etc. When he feels he has a complete picture in his head, then he can start his creation. The paintings then take on a life of their own in that Kruger becomes totally immersed in each subject. Every painting or drawing seems to evolve into its own unique style when Kruger begins "morphing"or stretching the limits of exaggeration until Kruger is satisfied. The results are powerful and astounding feasts for the eyes. Kruger's works can be found in publications worldwide like USA Today, L'Espresso, Stern, Playboy and Rolling Stone. He has a huge European following and more recently has achieved cult status in the United States. Kruger has had three art books published of his works and has a yearly art calendar from Morpheus. Recently, the German Heritage Museum purchased seventy of his early works, a huge achievement. Today, Kruger lives and works in the forest near Hanover, Germany with his partner, Andrea, and their cats and dogs. |