Rafael Stachowiak is a contemporary German painter born in Heidelberg in 1981. He studied at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe, where he was a student of Gustav Kluge. His artistic work is characterized by large-scale, often abstract paintings in which the materiality of the paint plays a central role. Using techniques of layering, scraping, and overlapping, Stachowiak explores the expressive potential of color and texture, creating dynamic compositions that investigate themes such as memory, landscape, and the creative process itself. His works have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. Throughout his career, he has received several awards, including the prestigious Hanna-Nagel-Preis in 2011, the Graduiertenstipendium of the State of Baden-Württemberg, and the Art Karlsruhe prize, which attest to his importance in the contemporary art scene.