Buy artwork by Mike Diao

Mike Diao creates figurative paintings whose colourful motifs are influenced by city and country. The artist, who was born in Xiamen, can't stand it for long in any Chinese city, and he only calls European metropolises like London and Berlin his home in the meantime. Variety is his motto. The globetrotter also oscillates in his pictures between the minimalist representation of metropolitan skylines and images of world maps. With graffiti art, his creative repertoire also includes an urban painting technique. In all his works, Diao attaches great importance to impulsive, elegant brushstrokes that illustrate the impetuous beauty of the world. Each of his acrylic paintings is a tribute to the world in which we live.

What makes a painting special?

„Every kind of art is a medium for the statement of the artist. I would also express myself through sculptures or other forms, but painting suits me best. I want to tell the viewer aspects of the world and travel. In the best case, you get from looking at my picture to fantasizing about foreign countries.”

Why did you become an artist?

„I worked as a packaging designer for some time. I think you can also see in my work that I am used to working to specifications. But I appreciate the clarity of my style. I'm just not the type for excessive lines. Nor do I strive to be the next Picasso. I simply want to give pleasure with my pictures. That's why I don't care whether my paintings hang in the living room of a factory worker or at a lawyer's office.”

Which KunstLoft painting is your favourite?

„What I like about Eva Wei's paintings is that the artist seems to have set herself the task of depicting various corners of the world. I'm sure she also likes to travel.”