Julius Hofmann is a German painter based near Göttingen and Leipzig whose work explores the intersection of classical painting and digital media. His practice blends figurative composition with digital-age aesthetics, drawing on influences from the Neue Sachlichkeit movement, 1990s CGI, and film genres such as noir and horror. Hofmann’s paintings often feature distorted perspectives, polygonal figures, and glitch-like surfaces, creating scenes that resemble broken virtual worlds. Themes of technological anxiety, consumer culture, and identity in a media-saturated society run throughout his work, which balances dark social critique with irony and surreal humor.
Take a look at what was done the previous day and I hope I can connect again.
The very early cubism style of Magritte, impressionism, "flat design," and pastel colour schemes.
Deserted (2019) by Gatecreeper
Metal, dark electronics, ambient. White/brown noise generators; podcasts and audiobooks. Ice Ages' This killing emptiness (2000). Gatecreeper's Deserted (2019).
Making more music.
There are many influences—it would be very hard to name one. I've read a lot of design/photography and composition books over the years.
When I was at academy. Tal R told me: "Great dance steps, but in the wrong club." It's kind of true in hindsight—it’s not enough to have skills if you’re not in the right place or context. Back then I was unwilling to accept it (does one even need belong to a club?), but the clever/funny phrasing stuck with me.
There's a lot of bad advice that I give myself on a daily basis. I'm shocked when I look at work-in-progress photos: missed opportunities, almost-finished (and later painted over) pieces...
All kinds of work materials and tools. But my studio is already so full of stuff, I've been trying to hold back lately.
Perlenbacher Premium Pils Beer
Besides good gin, I have a little weakness for [Perlenbacher Premium Pils] canned beer from the discount grocery store Lidl.
Letting myself be distracted by self-doubt all the time.
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Cities in general have turned into a big turnoff for me. It's very exhausting to be bombarded with that much stimulus and noise.
Depends, but in general—not really. On the other hand, I enjoy surprises when I encounter them while doing my process-based pieces (in a "sandbox"), or when viewing other people's art.
Everything's been a sequence of complex, very organic steps that have shaped me to be who I am. It's very hard to name only one. Maybe the recognition that being an Artist is my only option.
What goes up must go down.
It's when people comment on my works and I get the feeling we'd be able to connect.
I'm not much into traditional adventures; I sublimate on the canvas. It might sound boring, but when you reach that state where the (mostly negative) analyzing chatter of your mind falls silent, it becomes a truly adventurous journey.
Creating without overthinking. Resurrecting the playful flow state of my younger self.
When I look back, it's astonishing for me to think about how things have played out since I decided to become a painter.
It's hard to imagine, but maybe I'd be a movie director or musician.
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Help Us Grow
We are committed to building UntitledDb as a long-term, open-contribution visual art database, and subscriptions are what keep that commitment viable.
For something like the price of one bottle of artisanal water each month, a Pro or Enterprise subscription signals your support for this project and gives you access to useful perks like profile-claiming, edit control, advanced analytics, and more, while also giving you a direct say in how we evolve the platform and what gets built next.
What is UntitledDb?
UntitledDb is the collaborative visual art database.
Artists: keep one up-to-date profile that evolves with your practice, instead of managing scattered sites and links. Curators: reduce research drift, follow emerging work, map collaboration networks, and assemble proposal material in one place. Exhibition spaces: document each show as a searchable record that lifts your artists’ visibility and makes it easier for curators, writers, and collectors to find them.
Browse freely. Create your profile with a free account. Upgrade to Pro or Enterprise for profile verification & claiming, edit control, and analytics.
