From the law firm to the art world: Portrait of Paul Schrader
For the well-known, contemporary painter Paul Schrader, art is actually more of a calling than a profession: A few years ago, he traded his profession as a successful lawyer for painting in the studio and has been impressing with colorful works and creative exhibitions ever since. Learn more about the Hamburg artist, his history and most important paintings.
Bye law firm, hello backyard studio
Born in Hamburg in 1980, Paul Schrader discovered his passion for painting at an early age, liked to pick up a brush as a child and later passionately sprayed graffiti as a teenager. Also has Schrader spent a lot of time in exhibitions at a young age: “In New York, for example, I was amazed for hours at the Museum of Modern Art.” That's why he chose art as an advanced course when he graduated from high school and was lucky to have a very good teacher there who recognized and appreciated his talent. Yet he decided to study law “out of reason.” Paul Schrader passed the second state examination, received his doctorate and worked successfully as a lawyer for over six years.
Paul Schrader himself talks about his career with the words: “After the first state examination, the second one came, then the doctorate and with the job as a lawyer I also started painting again... I used to give my paintings away to friends and at some point I sold my first painting for 500 euros - that was so unbelievable because I never painted in order to earn money with them. Then it all happened blow by blow! At a vernissage, I met a gallerist, showed her photos of my pictures on her cell phone and invited her to come by. The next day she stood at my house and asked: How quickly can you prepare an exhibition? And that's when it started! “What followed was years of hard work. The young artist visited international art fairs to present his works to galleries and promoted himself on Instagram, among other things.
Style: between sensuality and silence
Paul Schrader stands for an emotional yet reflective painting that oscillates between dynamism and silence. His works, inspired by role models such as Basquiat, Sam Francis, Gerhard Richter, Günther Förg and CytWombly, are sensual, colorful explosions that reject solid form and literally tell their own story layer by layer. His gestural brushstroke, which is often supplemented by the use of spatula technology, is typical of Schrader. Because in the beginning, Schrader applied the colors with credit cards. The idea, which was originally born from a lack of painting tools, became a concept and part of the process of creating Schrader's works of art over time. He now paints with a variety of objects that have nothing in common with a brush - from tie boxes to silicone spoons. As a result, his paintings appear spontaneous, but are precisely composed. The artist's sources of inspiration in urban space are just as diverse,A work is now being exhibited around the globe and presented at international art fairs — including Volta New York, Art Karlsruhe, Positions Berlin and Scope Miami.
Most famous works
Schrader's works are particularly sought after by collectors who appreciate contemporary, colorful painting. The former lawyer now earns even more from painting than in his job as a top lawyer. No wonder - In an interview, Schrader reported that he sells around 20 works a year And that in large five-digit amounts in each case. Paul Schrader's most famous works include large-format abstract paintings, which are characterized by expressive coloring and dynamic composition. Particularly noteworthy is the nameless “o.T.” from 2018, which was auctioned off at the renowned Viennese auction house in Kinsky. The estimated price was between 10,000 and 20,000 euros, and the contract was over 15,000 euros. Another work by Schrader had already been offered at an auction of the same house with an estimated price of 20,000 to 40,000 euros.
Schrader is also represented at charity auctions: the work “Super Nova” from 2021 listed at Van Ham art auctions as part of the pART benefit auction - with an estimated price of between 14,500 and 18,000 euros. Schrader is playing an increasingly prominent role not only in the classical art market, but also in a social context. In 2024, for example, he designed a charity edition, whose sales proceeds benefit the Tribute-To-Bambi Foundation. His work “Heat” is in collaboration with WhiteWall was produced and was available as a limited and framed edition at a price of 570 euros.
Fine art as an investment
Paul Schrader's works exemplify a trend on the art market: collectors and investors are increasingly interested in contemporary works by young, promising artists. Especially in times of economic uncertainty, art also appears to be a largely independent asset whose performance follows its own rules and is only conditionally linked to stock market cycles.
Fine art is therefore ideal for portfolio diversification. While traditional asset classes such as equities or real estate are subject to cyclical fluctuations, art remains stable in many cases or even gains in value — especially when an artist like Paul Schrader has increasing demand from collectors.
If you too would like to invest in art, you will soon find what you are looking for again at FINEXITY — the “Paul Schrader Masterpiece Collection” is already in the starting blocks
