Rolf Knie, Swiss painter, descendent of the Knie circus dynasty, presented his latest works last weekend in his hometown, Rapperswiler, Switzerland.

The artist spent six months in Spain’s picturesque island, Mallorca to work on his current collection of work. “Authenticity is the most important in every art form, and who could present circus more authentically than I, who has lived in it for many years, “says Rolf Knie to the Zürichsee-Zeitung.

Although Knie’s main theme has always been the circus, his inspiration has evolved and explores a wide range of subjects within his beloved art form. His current exhibition is devoted to the contortionist. His paintings depict the mobility, fluidity and harmony of the female body. The backdrop and the body, usually in black and white, flow into one another. Knie was also inspired by the erotic nature of the contortionist’s body. Contortionists have been featured in the circus since the 1920s, even before it was common to see a woman in a bikini.

The 68-year-old artist had spent a significant part of his career performing as a clown and a stage and film actor. For a while he juggled his two passion, circus and visual arts. In the 1990s, he decided to primarily devote himself to visual arts.

Link to Zürichsee-Zeitung’s articlein German.