Introduction
At over ninety years of age, Armin Mueller-Stahl can look back on an eventful life. As a child, he endured National Socialism and World War II. In the German Democratic Republic, a long period of great popularity and countless roles in theater and film was followed by the sudden downfall of someone who had become politically unpopular.
The artist has experienced many farewells, but also new beginnings: his move to the Federal Republic of Germany in the early 1980s, with successes in film and television. Brilliant recognition in Hollywood from the late 1980s onwards, crowned by an Oscar nomination. At the beginning of this year, another farewell: his home in California fell victim to forest fires.
The actor, who comes from an artistic family, has been painting all his life. He deals with autobiographical, cinematic, but above all political themes. For Mueller-Stahl, painting is a liberating experience. It allows him to process difficult subjects such as war, flight, and migration. “Once I've done that, I feel better, a little freer from the anxiety.” Born in Tilsit, East Prussia, in 1930, he still paints every day.
For Armin Mueller-Stahl, painting has much in common with acting: capturing the essence with a few gestures, spontaneously and expressively. Ultimately, his paintings convey something deeply playful and life-affirming.