Mixed media photography on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic Fine Art InkJet paper, mounted on Fontaine watercolour paper 4 handmade black cardboard and light grey cardboard, framed in a wooden black object frame (62.5 × 82.5x4 cm) behind museum glass.
Artwork size: 60× 80 cm
Edition 1/7 + 2 AP · 2025 · Karlheinz Wachsenegger
Exhibition Statement (E)
This work portrays Christian Kow Rhule, captured in 2024 in Calabar, Nigeria. Christian was a trainer in the "Mechanical Sheet Workshop" at the vocational center of HIFA (Help for All) at St. Patrick’s College – a man of integrity, strength, and deep responsibility. The artwork is not just a depiction but a visual monument to someone who dedicated his life to creating opportunities for others while himself having little financial security.
The composition – a central, enlarged portrait segment set against a background made of assembled individual sheets – reflects the fragmentation and complexity of Christian’s biography: his roots in Ghana, his commitment in Nigeria, his life caught between dedication and hardship. The visible seams of 1 mm linen thread stitched through the picture plane symbolize both resilience and rupture, support and confinement.
Christian had wished to return to his homeland Elmina in Ghana. But this final wish remained unfulfilled – he died far from his roots. The material choices made deliberately by the artist – the metallic surface, the textured watercolour paper, and the conscious framing – lend the work a physical gravity that underscores the emotional depth of his story.
This portrait is a quiet testimony to humanity, dignity, and the legacy of a life lived in the service of others.
An ideal choice for fine art collectors, modern living spaces, galleries, or sophisticated office interiors.
All works are hand-signed, numbered, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
These editions offer collectors a high-quality, long-term investment in fine art photography, crafted with precision and care.
