Stohead, has been in the game a long time. When he talks about the early days of his career as a graffiti artist, his narrative is dotted with historic moments that defined him, his works, and Germany’s graffiti culture. The 39-year-old artist, whose real name is Christoph Häßler, has influenced the evolution of German graffiti from a subculture associated with vandalism to a form of contemporary art gracing museums and private collections worldwide. Stohead is best known for combining a graffiti-based style with classical calligraphy to produce letters that are at once figurative and abstract. Under intense physical duress, he paints letters in individual strokes, using broad-tipped, traditional round-tipped or homemade instruments to achieve an expressive work recounting both invisible and raw emotion. His approach – which is ruminant yet harsh, extensive and stringent – recalls a type of performance art. By all means, Stohead describes his style as contemporary calligraphy and terms it Radicalligraphy, a designation that explains both his method and his upcoming solo show. Stohead ‘Radicalligraphy’ August 2 – September 15, 2013 RUTTKOWSKI68 Bismarckstrasse 68 50672 Köln Phone +49(0)221 1699 3647 info@ruttkowski68.com HOURS (during exhibitions) Mon-Fri 15-20h Sat-Sun 17-20h Tue closed and by appointment