ABOUT URBAN AND CONTEMPORARY ART
Kai “Raws” Imhof was born in 1990, in Königs Wusterhausen, Germany and raised in Berlin. After finishing his A-level, the artist started the training as a graphic designer in Berlin, which he finished in 2015 by winning the best graduation work award. After that, he decided to become a full-time artist.
Raws’ artistic career started in 2004 when he was painting the streets as a classic graffiti writer. During his early years as a sprayer, he painted illegal bombings and tags on walls in his neighborhood. Due to clashes with the police, he decided (around 2008) to deal with the aesthetic side of graffiti writing. By painting high-quality colorful pieces, over the years he became a famous artist in the international graffiti scene.
Later when he started his graphic design training, he dealt with the history of fine arts. Movements like Bauhaus or Blauer Reiter and artists like Kandinsky, Richter or Picasso made him rethinking his own standards and views and had big impact to his following career as an artist. Since then, he is combining his addiction to abstraction, graphics and arrangement with an urban approach.
Raws was invited to many events and exhibitions all over the world. The artist had opportunities to show his work in countries like Indonesia, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark or France. When it comes to exhibitions, Raws was part of the international renowned The Haus – Berlin Art Bang show in Berlin in 2017. In 2019 Raws had his first big Soloshow at the Urban Spree Gallerie in Berlin. Later he also took part in artfairs like Monumenta in Leipzig, Affordable Artfair or MISA from König Galerie. Since then, his career evolved and Raws had international exhibitions all over the world like in the Museum of Graffiti in Miami or cooperated with big brands like adidas, Cupra or Marvel and became a well known contemporary artist.
Artist statement
Kai “Raws” Imhof is an artist who deals with the abstraction of urban aesthetic elements, digitalization and social challenges. The central means here, in addition to the medium of spray cans and the color world of certain urban movements, is the compositional arrangement of the elements. Imhof thus combines his past as a graffiti artist with the influences of modern graphic design, contemporary art and social themes.
SELECTED SHOWS
SOLO SHOWS
- 2021 CHAOS – Artcan Gallery – Paris, France
- 2020 LEAVE THE FRAME – X23 Gallery – Leipzig, Germany
- 2019 #NEOGRAFFISM – Urban Spree Gallery – Berlin, Germany
GROUP SHOWS
- 2024 HERBST SALON – Fravil Art Gallery – Leipzig, Germany
- 2024 AMPERSAND SHOW – Known Gallery – Las Vergas, Usa
- 2024 CHRISTIES AUCTION – Millerntor Gallery – Hamburg, Germany
- 2024 MILLERNTOR GALLERY – Millerntor Gallery – Hamburg, Germany
- 2024 AFFORDABLE ARTFAIR – JR Gallery Berlin – Berlin, Germany
- 2024 VERSUS PROJECT 5- Urban Nation Museum – Berlin, Germany
- 2024 Gallery Weekend – JR Gallery Berlin – Berlin, Germany
- 2023 KNOTENPUNKT – Affenfaust Galerie – Hamburg, Germany
- 2023 THE GATEWAY KOREA – Adidas Residency – Seoul, Korea
- 2023 CHRISTIES AUCTION – Millerntor Gallery – Hamburg, Germany
- 2023 MILLERNTOR GALLERY – Millerntor Gallery – Hamburg, Germany
- 2023 AMBIVALENT – notagallery – Berlin, Germany
- 2023 WALLS – Jr Gallery Berlin – Berlin, Germany
- 2023 AFFORDABLE ARTFAIR – Jr Gallery Berlin – Brussel, Belgium
- 2023 VERSUS PROJECT 3 – Museum of Graffiti – Miami, Usa
- 2022 SO GEHT WEB3 – Museum angewandte Kunst – Frankfurt am Main
- 2022 FLUX COLLECTIVE NFT SHOW – Musee Dezentral – Metaverse
- 2022 MISA POP UP SHOW – Misa by Koenig Galerie – Berlin, Germany
- 2022 SUPER FUTURE GROUP SHOW – Mirus Gallery – Denver, Usa
- 2022 URBAN ART FAIR – Obvious Collective – Paris, France
- 2021 MESSE IN ST.AGNES – Koenig Galerie – Berlin, Germany
- 2021 ENTER THE CIRCLE – Pretty portal gallery – Düsseldorf, Germany
- 2021 SUMMER GROUPSHOW – Outsiders Galerie – France
- 2020 GROUPSHOW – Outsiders Galerie – France
- 2020 Spaklers Urban Gallery – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2019 Salon international d’art contemporain – Paris, France
- 2019 Malagacha Gallery – Strasbourg, France
- 2018 Monumenta – Leipzig, Germany
MURAL FESTIVALS
- 2019 Vision Art Festival – Crans-Montana, Switzerland
- 2018 Berlin Mural Fest – Berlin, Germany
- 2018 Wandelism – Berlin, Germany
- 2017 Street Dealin 11 – Jakarta, Indonesia
- 2017 The Haus – Berlin Art Bang – Berlin, Germany