The square at Thume Eck has become beautiful, although the trees are still small and the adjacent and bordering walls somewhat colorless. This is how the Ingbert graffiti artist Fabio Kuhn came up with the idea to ask the city if he could place his own artwork on the square. The wall of the former Edelweiß Hotel was suitable because it is smooth and had already been painted gray – after some consideration, it was the ideal surface for graffiti. Therefore, the city gladly approved his idea to enhance Thume Eck with a colorful artwork.
23-year-old Fabio Kuhn is a student at the University of Visual Arts (HBK) in Saarbrücken. After completing a degree at the Technical High School for Design in Saarbrücken-Malstatt, Kuhn initially studied architecture. "I used to paint and draw a lot as a child. In my youth, I lost touch with art a bit. But during my architecture studies, I rediscovered my love for drawing," the artist explains. Since he also has a good rapport with children and young people, he is now heading towards a teacher training degree. At HBK, Fabio Kuhn was initially admitted to "Free Art" due to his impressive portfolio. He has now switched to studying to become an art and sports teacher, as sports is his second passion: skateboarding and strength training using his own body weight provide him with the perfect balance to his artistic work and studies.
St. Ingbert graffiti artist Fabio Kuhn
In addition to classical art forms such as figure and portrait drawing, watercolor painting, etc., Kuhn chooses his artistic direction freely at the university. “Graffiti has always been exciting for me. I work with letters (lettering), but I am also fascinated by abstract forms,” he reports. The work at Thume Eck was inspired by classical modernism, “but actually I did my own thing,” he adds. Using spray bottles in purple, blue, green, and yellow shades, he created a freehand painting across the entire width of the building. Freehand means all lines were drawn without rulers or stencils. Only the upper edge and the edge to the ground were masked off. “I did come up with a basic concept in advance, but didn’t make a finished sketch. The painting emerged while spraying. I like the 'imperfect' lines; they suit my character better,” says Kuhn. The work took three days; at first, the police came by due to a complaint—but this street art was and is authorized. It is not meant to provoke but to beautify, expand, and provide space for personal ideas. Alongside the sculpture “Nessie,” the steel artwork by metal sculptor Hans Peters, and the benches, the square has thus become a sociable place in the heart of the city.
Kuhn's artwork gives the Thume corner more color and personality – a painting that is not to be admired in a museum, but allows for a completely individual interpretation by the viewer in the context of the urban space, playing with light and shadow. It is Fabio Kuhn's first major mural. "But this young, imaginative artist will certainly provide St. Ingbert with even more artworks," said local representative Irene Kaiser, who advocated for the work at Thume Eck. Kuhn has already accepted some private commissions of various kinds (a children's room, a trailer, etc.) and of course he hopes that the graffiti in the middle of St. Ingbert will become a showcase for him. He is currently working on developing his own website. In the meantime, anyone interested in an individual piece by Fabio Kuhn can reach him by phone at 0152 2636 5299 or by email at kontakt@kuhn-einrichtungshaus.de.
