By Frederick Philander
In 1965 – 42 years ago, and at the age of 18 – Uli Aschenborn held his first exhibition together with his father, Dieter, and grandpa, Hans Anton. Since then, he has held numerous exhibitions in Namibia and overseas.
He will turn 60 this year and looks back on a successful career as an artist, having invented a handful of new, astonishing techniques to create a diversity of different types of paintings, sculptures and luminous objects which alter their appearance.
The media branded this kind of innovative art ‘Uli Aschenborn Amazing Changing Art’ which is also highly acknowledged in Germany where Uli will hold a retrospective exhibition showing the great span of his work, which can be seen by visiting his homepage http://art.aschenborn.de.
Here also, works by his father and grandpa can be seen, as well as the most important newspaper articles.
It is no wonder that Uli is one of the most renowned artists of Namibia.
Some of Uli’s innovative works could be seen in the National Art Gallery of Namibia last year which caused quite a stir in the Namibian media.
Uli has gathered a reputation as restorer of African as well as European paintings, and has done some remarkable murals (e.g. at Duesternbrook, Okapuka, the Fish River Canyon Lodge, Kings Den), and he also designed some gates.
An exhibition of mainly animal drawings and paintings by Uli will be held at the Kendzia Gallery and the well-known picture-framing workshop at 14 Volan Street in Windhoek West, which will be opened this Sunday at 11h00 (Tel. 061-22-7413).
Unfortunately, some invitations with a printing error went out stating that the opening was to be on Sunday, August 11 which should have read Sunday, August 12. But Uli will, of course, be there on Saturday too.
Uli will also show his prints which, in using one of his new techniques, look like oil paintings – thus being a cheap alternative for decorating lodges, hotels, etc.
Uli wants to give the Namibian public a chance at this exhibition to buy works of his which are not too expensive, and with the animals he wants to commemorate his father and grandpa as the great animal-painters they were.