It was time for the first test drive. We had ten days, and I wanted to meet some Facebook contacts in real life. Jean Schmiedel’s work had caught my eye on his Facebook page some time before: his wild, enormous portraits, trophy heads and mummies. There were also portraits of Jean online, showing him covered in tattoos, his face painted black, posing in front of his paintings. When we rang his doorbell, we wondered whether we should have told a friend where we were, in case we ended up among Jean’s trophy heads. Instead, an open, smiling and friendly Jean Schmiedel welcomed us into his studio and home and shared personal stories that gave us access to his art. I will return to make a video with him, so you too can gain a deeper insight into his fascinating work. Very exciting!
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