The paintings of Hans Bote: Exciting and provocative at akanthus in the Westwerk

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Most art lovers are probably familiar only with the typographic works of the Leipzig-based artist Hans (Hans-Olaf) Bote. The other side of his oeuvre – his paintings – is currently on display at the akanthus gallery in Leipzig’s Westwerk. The exhibition, entitled ‘Im Land der Tugend’ (In the Land of Virtue), can be seen in Room 2.

Naturally, we didn’t just look at Hans Bote’s works; the permanent exhibition also features an impressive array of works by a wide range of artists from Leipzig, across Germany and internationally. The gallery owner, Jürgen M. Pietsch, was happy to answer our questions.

“Prometheus is Afraid”, a painting by Jürgen Schäfer. Photo: Thomas Köhler

Mr Pietsch, how long has the akanthus gallery been here at the Westwerk?

We’ve been based here since 2019, and we run the gallery across two rooms. Room 2 is for temporary exhibitions, whilst this room is dedicated to the artists who are particularly close to my heart. So their work is on display here all the time.

The Westwerk isn’t really the go-to location for a gallery in Leipzig – people tend to think of the Baumwollspinnerei instead. Is this location ideal for you?

Yes, it’s a good location; of course, it can’t be compared to the cluster of twelve or fifteen galleries in the Spinnerei. But that’s not necessary either. Having such a unique selling point also has many advantages, and customers get used to it and know where we are.

We also do a lot of advertising; you have to for a location like this. That said, this applies to all galleries: walk-in customers aren’t the key clientele. They’re welcome, no question about it – you actually always have an interested, friendly audience.

Which of the latter artists are we seeing here?

Various works by Eckhard Meisel. Photo: Thomas Köhler

First and foremost, of course, is Gerhard Kurt Müller. One of the Leipzig painters, twice rector of the art school, he held a professorship at the HGB; his works are always on display here because the Gerhard Kurt Müller Foundation has no premises of its own, at least until the end of the year. Gerhard Kurt Müller was a figure who shaped several generations of artists.

Who else is worth mentioning? Next on the list would be Strawalde, a Berlin-based artist. He was born in the Dresden area, studied in Dresden and also taught there. He was a friend of Gerhard Richter’s, and Penck was his pupil. Strawalde has just turned 95, which is why I am showcasing his work for a second time, featuring paintings and drawings spanning a long period. There will therefore also be some very recent drawings by Strawalde.

“Untitled”, a painting by Christiane Wachter; on the right, on the plinth, is the sculpture *Thrax* by Timm Kregel. Photo: Thomas Köhler

One artist worth mentioning is Gerda Lepke; she is something of a grande dame of East German painting, lives in Dresden and Gera, and is renowned for her paintings and drawings.

At the moment, I’m also exhibiting works by Peter Laube in this room – an artist who, sadly, passed away far too young. He is known for his pen-and-ink drawings – those tiny, incredibly intricate drawings over there.

So, the ones I’d describe as miniatures?

“Untitled” print by Peter Laube. Photo: Thomas Köhler

Yes, exactly. In his short artistic career, Peter Laube illustrated over 50 books; he was an incredibly hard-working artist. As for the international aspect, you’ll actually find artists here from Italy, Lithuania and other countries too, depending on what’s currently on offer.

Are you currently showing Hans Bote in the temporary exhibition?

‘Robo Pleasure Girl’, painting by Hans Bote. Photo: Thomas Köhler

He is an artist from Leipzig who studied painting and drawing at the HGB and is known to many as an artist who creates typographic artworks. This is the first time we’re exhibiting his extensive collection of paintings. So it really is a first.

I actually only knew him for his typographic works and didn’t realize he painted.

For whatever reason, he’s kept his paintings under wraps. So I’m all the more delighted to be able to show them. And it’s a very exciting – and, of course, a provocative – exhibition. Absolutely. It’s allowed to be that way sometimes; art should, can and must provoke.

You also have sculptures – who are they by?

Timm Kregel is very important to the gallery. A sculptor who works with aluminium. What you see there is cast aluminium combined with wood; it’s technically complex and absolutely brilliant how he’s mastered it. You have to imagine aluminium at 600 degrees flowing around wood – there isn’t much time.

But it creates some fantastic effects, as you can see.

Exactly. Eckhard Meisel is also one of the artists I’ve been following for almost my entire life. He’s a painter, graphic artist, object artist and ceramicist from Leipzig – there’s so much more to say about him; he’s a magnificent painter.

You’ve just come back from Italy, as I heard earlier. What were you doing there?

Works by Brunivo Buttarelli; on the table on the right is the sculpture *Rigermogliazione*. Photo: Thomas Köhler

I was actually in Italy to see the major retrospective of one of my artists’ life’s work and to congratulate him on his eightieth birthday. That’s all part of it; I visit this artist quite often because he’s very well known in Italy. One of his works is also on display at MoMA in New York, whilst a collector from Leipzig has acquired a similar piece. Brunivo Buttarelli’s works are truly impressive pieces of art.

Let’s wrap things up here, Mr Pietsch. Thank you for the conversation and for the opportunity to view your gallery.

The exhibition of paintings by Hans Bote runs until 14 November 2026, whilst the works by Peter Laube will be on display until 28 November 2026. The exact dates and opening hours can be found here.

This, too, is art – graffiti on the Westwerk. Photo: Thomas Köhler

Disclaimer: An art gallery is, of course, not a museum, but a commercial enterprise. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to pay an admission fee. The gallery owners are certainly delighted to welcome interested visitors, and perhaps one or two of them might even fall in love with a piece. Not all of them cost a fortune.