Georg Wachberg: The Faces that Reflect the Human Soul
From the first glance at Georg Wachberg‘s work, it’s evident that this Vienna-based artist isn’t merely painting faces—he’s capturing the raw essence of human existence. Through his deeply emotional, almost haunting portraits, Wachberg creates windows into the complex web of joy, suffering, and transcendence that defines the human experience. His story, like his art, is one of persistence and passion. A self-taught painter, he defied the traditional route to artistry, opting instead to balance a career in finance while chasing his true calling in art.
Wachberg’s distinctive style centers around the human face, which he believes is the ultimate canvas for expressing the internal struggle for enlightenment. His fascination with the human face is not merely aesthetic; it’s rooted in a deeper philosophical exploration. For him, the face symbolizes the drama of existence—the battles, triumphs, and quiet moments of introspection that define human life. Wachberg’s ability to evoke these universal emotions while keeping his subject matter so singular is a testament to his singular vision and dedication to his craft.
Georg Wachberg: The Path from Finance to Art
Wachberg’s journey to becoming an artist is far from conventional. He dreamed of being a painter from a young age, but his path was riddled with obstacles. After failing to gain admission to art school seven times, Wachberg turned to the world of finance, where he studied economics and eventually worked in hedge funds. Though financially stable, he found himself deeply unfulfilled, realizing that the corporate world was not where he belonged. This internal conflict reached a tipping point in his early thirties, when he began working part-time, devoting his newfound freedom to honing his painting skills.
Driven by a love for art that never faded, Wachberg painted daily, drawing inspiration from his interest in meditation and human enlightenment. In the early years, too shy to ask for live models, he worked from memory and imagination, capturing the inner struggles of the human soul. It was only after a decade of relentless practice that his work began to take shape in a way that resonated with others. Eventually, his art began to gain attention, both in galleries and on social media, where his evocative portraits attracted a substantial following.
His perseverance paid off when his work began garnering a broader audience. Wachberg recounts a particularly pivotal moment when one of his Instagram posts attracted 700,000 views in a single month, accompanied by thousands of likes and comments. It was a validation of not only his talent but also his belief that art is a space where human nature can express itself freely, without the constraints of societal expectations.
Faces as a Portal to the Human Condition
For Wachberg, the human face is far more than a subject for portraiture—it is a canvas for emotional and spiritual exploration. His paintings often depict spectral, ghost-like figures suspended between the visible and the invisible, a reflection of the tension between material existence and spiritual awakening. The faces he paints are not merely physical representations but embody the myriad emotions and experiences that shape human life. His brushstrokes are loose yet deliberate, and his use of color, especially reds and muted grays, adds to the intensity and drama of his work.
Wachberg’s technique, which blends abstraction with figuration, evokes comparisons to artists like Francis Bacon, who explored psychological distortion, and Mark Rothko, who used color to convey emotional depth. Like Bacon, Wachberg often emphasizes the eyes, making them hauntingly large and expressive, as if they are windows to the soul. The recurring motif of red in his work suggests not only the life force of blood but also the emotional rawness that underlies human existence.
His works frequently balance fluidity and structure, blurring the boundaries between flesh and spirit. The delicate lines and gestural brushwork seem to hint at the fragility of human life, while the dense layers of paint add a palpable weight to the figures. This duality—between presence and absence, material and spiritual—is what makes Wachberg’s art so compelling. It forces viewers to confront the complexity of their own existence, much like the artist himself does through his meditative practice.
Georg Wachberg: Meditation, Craft, and the Magic of Creation
For Wachberg, art is not just a profession; it is an act of meditation. His work is a direct extension of his inner life, shaped by years of meditation and spiritual inquiry. He credits an early encounter with Indian yogis in his twenties for shifting his perspective on life, and this influence permeates his approach to art. He describes his artistic process as deeply meditative, often working late into the night while listening to rain recordings or philosophical talks. This deep connection between his inner self and his work is reflected in the repetitive yet profound exploration of the human face.
In addition to his philosophical approach, Wachberg also emphasizes the importance of craft. He believes in the power of repetition—doing something so often that it becomes second nature. The simple pleasure of moving a brush across a surface, or the sound it makes as it glides over cardboard, is as much a part of his process as the final image itself. Wachberg often paints on found materials, such as cardboard boxes, adding a layer of texture and impermanence to his work that mirrors the transient nature of life.
While his work might seem narrowly focused on the human face, Wachberg’s interest in humanity as a whole is vast. He often speaks about the “wonderful and difficult experience of being human,” capturing both the joy and the pain of existence. His admiration for artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Mark Rothko, and Joseph Beuys is evident in his approach, which balances technical skill with emotional depth. Yet despite these influences, Wachberg’s work is uniquely his own, a reflection of his personal journey and a testament to the power of perseverance, craft, and introspection.
