Biography
Claus Bertermann
Claus Bertermann was born in 1965 in Stuttgart, Germany.
He studied architecture at the Technische Universität
München (TUM) from 1988 to 1993. After obtaining his
master’s degree, he worked as an architect until the late
1990s before venturing into entrepreneurship. Later, he
fully immersed himself in the art world.
Claus Bertermann’s style is rooted in abstract expressionism.
His work is influenced by architecture, abstract art,
and art brut, as well as by his Spanish grandfather. Guillermo
Castañeda, a self-taught abstract and figurative painter,
practiced his art from the end of the Spanish Civil War
in the 1940s until his death in 2003. Claus Bertermann
spent his childhood at his grandparents’ home in Spain,
observing his grandfather painting. The smell of oil and
turpentine that permeated his grandfather’s house still inspires
him today.
STYLE
Claus Bertermann paints on a large scale, mainly using oil,
colored ink, acrylic, and spray paint. To develop his own
unique style and signature, he studied the techniques of
his mentors for years: in addition to his grandfather, he
draws inspiration from Georg Baselitz, Helen Frankenthaler,
Jean Dubu”et, Gerhard Richter, Jean-Michel Basquiat,
Karel Appel, and other masters. It wasn’t until he turned
50 that he felt ready to fully devote himself to painting.
In his abstract work, Bertermann mainly explores the
theme of transience. He focuses on layers and their interaction:
how they appear on the surface, overlap, influence
each other, and transform. Bertermann delves into
the concept of what once existed and what, covered by
a new layer, transforms into something new. Thus, he reflects
on the present and the past, construction and destruction,
and arouses the viewer’s curiosity about what
the future might hold.
Influenced by his training as an architect, Bertermann
consciously rejects any form of rules in his work. He sees
his art as a liberation from the rigid structures and specifications
of architecture. For him, painting represents absolute
freedom, and abstract art is the highest form of free
expression. He approaches his painting in an unreflective
and intuitive manner, following the impulse of each work.
Bertermann deliberately takes risks, crosses boundaries.
He covers existing pictorial compositions and then completely
or partially removes the new layers. Ultimately,
only distant traces and signals of what was once visible
remain. He explicitly leaves the interpretation of what was
initially present in the covered layers to the viewer, thus
o”ering total freedom. Structured reflection is limited for
him to colors and composition. Claus Bertermann cultivates
a fluid painting style, intentionally avoiding complex
details and often working on multiple canvases simultaneously.
INFLUENCE
FAME
Despite – or perhaps because of – his late decision to
fully dedicate himself to art, Bertermann has achieved notable
success. His works sell worldwide. Apart from his
successful sales career, Claus Bertermann held a solo
exhibition in 2019 in the BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria)
exhibition hall in Oviedo, Spain.
As a token of gratitude, Bertermann donated a largescale
triptych (6.00 x 2.00 meters) to his alma mater, the
Technische Universität München (TUM), in January 2024.
The work adorns the entrance of one of the university’s
main conference facilities.
Since 2024, Bertermann has been exclusively represented
by Belgian agent Jos De Troyer.