"It has to be f'n awesome."
Born in the city of Meiningen in 1971, miho developed to an aspiring contemporary artist from Germany who has risen in popularity throughout Europe since 2015.
In his artworks miho translates his perception of icons from his youth and present day life to canvas, expressing his very own stories through the impressive passion within his art style as well as the emotions of his motive.
His paintings, often drawn with bright, acrylic colors, interpret the contrasts of Rock ’n’ Roll and Hollywood-Life as well as the polarity of scenes from nature and popular comics, which characterize miho's works of contemporary art.
The requirement for a motive becoming his next piece of contemporary art is as passionate as it is short:
"It has to be f'n awesome."
"Wouldn't be here without."
Coffee and a record from U2`s live-concert in Milan in 2005. At best loud. Like really loud. That's what miho definetly needs to create his unique contemporary art - afterall, creativity doesn't come out of nowhere.
The Irish rock band from Dublin already fascinated miho during his youth. With their passion, their dynamic as well as their sound. Features, that can also be found within miho's artworks: In the emotions of his motives, the dynamics of his technique as well as the tone of his colors.
That Bono, U2's lead singer, has been among miho's motives shouldn't be much of a surprise therefore. But Bono is far from being the only icon miho has brought to canvas throughout his career.
David Bowie. Steve McQueen. Keith Richards.
From Hollywood-Icons and Rock'n'Roll- legends to old comicbook heros like Tintin and Snowy miho has brought many of his past and present influences to life on canvas.
However, they are more than just his idoles. They are icons who influenced the life of generations. They make miho's artworks more than a homage to the good old times. They make them more, than just another piece of contemporary art.
Each of his artworks joins people with the same interests, the same passions, and becomes more than just some piece of contemporary art, often representing the memories of a generation.
"miho."
Project "miho" initially started out back in 2015 as an idea to create something special to suprise the the wife from one of miho's regular clients and has since developed into something, miho wouldn't have dreamn't of at any time.
Back then, miho just wanted to create something different - something that wasn't ordinary for his detailed style, that he would often use for contracted paintings and city sceneries which he sold in his atelier.
He knew the wife of his client was a huge fan of Audrey Hephurn, but that was pretty much it. It was an idea for a motive though. Now miho only needed a cup of coffee, some music, his colors and a blank canvas.
But how does one create something special?
An unique art style?
"Let's turn up the music", "A little more." I recall miho saying back then, while his atelier turned into the stage for U2's '05 concert in Milan. The passion, the fascination that miho felt from listening to U2's songs - that is, what he wished people would feel when watching his paintings.
With this thought, this goal in mind, miho got lost in the intoxicated world of colors and contrasts from Comics and Pop-Art, that shaped his perception of arts at the time.
And he created an homage of the Hollywood legend Audrey Hephurn. An exceptional one, that would fascinate his client and his wife. One that founded his own, unique art style.
"Can I buy it?" was the first thing that came from his astonished client, when miho presented his idea for an exceptional gift to the clients wife. It was the perfect surprise. The joy from his clients face confirmed miho's success. He created an artwork, that had all of the fascination, all of the emotions miho felt while painting it.
And yet it grew to be more than another artwork. More than an escape from the details of his city sceneries and contracted paintings. His homage excited as an artwork, but also as a source of inspiration as well as a memorial to the lifetime achivements of the Hollywood icon Audrey Hephurn and the Golden Age of Hollywood.
It became more than contemporary art.
Soon after showing off his first art work as "miho", new ideas came to miho's mind and more homages to John Lennon, James Dean, Steve McQueen and David Bowie followed, founding the artist's new life under the pseudonym "miho".
Since then friends and clients from his hometown, throughout Germany as well as the United Kingdom have made miho to so much more than just a surprise project and helped him grow into Europe's art scene.
Together with them, he relives the memories from his past and present, from movies that shaped his adolescence and songs that made him feel alive. Over and over again, sharing his passion for arts, music and movies.
"My absolute favorite."
Stuck in a moment you can't get out of -04:32
Elevation -03:45
Walk on -04:55
If you wanted to know one real influence on miho's artworks, it probably would be his favorite song "Elevation", obviously a song by his favorite band U2. "What's so influential about it?". you might ask. Its dynamic.
Yeah, yeah. This song also is a great inspiration to write these texts here, but I am drifting apart. The dynamics aren't only what makes this song sound different to other songs from U2, but also what makes miho's paintings so special compared to other contemporary art.
Characterized by the combination of strong contrasts and the polarity of his portraits with the almost flowing transition between the colors in the background of his paintings, miho's dynamics define the line between shadows and lights, power and emotions of his art works and thus, his unqiue style.
"Contemporary arts, but..."
Miss Sarajevo -07:01
Hello, hello, can I please go Vertigo ? -03:54
Elevation -05:52
When its about contemporary arts, things often are about current trends, arts reflecting society or themselves, but this is not what miho is aiming for with his artworks.
Afterall, he hopes to capture his emotions, the feelings and perceptions of an era in every single painting, to summarize his generations memories in his motives.
Sharing these emotions with friends, family and enthusiasts - this is what makes miho's artworks something special. Something more than contemporary arts.
PS: After writing all these texts here I can only recommend listening to the recordings from U2's '05 concert in Milan. No wonder miho still listens to them as loud as he can.
Just awesome.
Like his homage to James Dean on my wall.
