Die Wirklichkeit kommt später (Reality comes later)

Over several decades, Günter Schimunek (1942 – 2022) developed a distinctive visual language that merged painting, collage, and drawing. The Graz-based artist worked with hybrid figures, composite beings, and dreamlike constellations that defy clear stylistic categorization. His works combine a free, often playful formal language with a pronounced interest in imagination and the unconscious.

In addition to large-format paintings, he created photo collages — the so-called “bubble pictures” — and numerous works on paper. His drawings and sketches, created during various travels, in particular reveal an immediate working method in which observation and spontaneous image creation intertwine. At the same time, Schimunek was part of a vibrant network within the art scene of Graz for decades and collaborated repeatedly with other artists.