the artist
Klaus Bösch born in 1963 in Lustenau, Austria– artist name KB The Sandman:
In the early 1980ies at age 18 I searched for ways to express my creativity. I started with photo art. For a period I painted with lead pencil, ink, water colour and oil. Then I started playing guitar and singing. Together with a bunch of friends we founded a 1060ies beat band. That experiment ended after the one and only live gig. In the mid eighties I was still lacking the art form that would really fascinate me. In October 1986 my good friend Werner Pieper, a German publisher and author (Die Grüne Kraft) handed me a sandpicture. At that time a few primitive versions were available. I remember well that evening. I was deeply touched by watching the moving sand formations, which put me into a kind of meditation, almost into a state of trance. The first hour was as if the world around me vanished. Back then I decided to study this concept.
Self-taught I searched for the basic knowledge and kept discovering to refine the technique. Besides the art of using extremely fine sands I learned wood working, lacquering techniques, airbrush and gold leafing. All that was necessary to create the complex sand artworks I am creating now, decades later.
In 1988 I established a company for producing and selling sandpictures. I started with small and simple series. Soon singular artworks and tailored works were added to my portfolio, which enabled my first exhibition in an art gallery in 1991. It was the opening exhibition of a gallery in Uetikon at Lake Zurich. I found out that I had to improve my work first, so I turned my head from art exhibitions and concentrated on hand crafted series, which became the base for research and development. To expand my horizon I attended Gerald Ritzberger’s school for Space-Quality-Management, an education in feng shui, Goethe’s science of colours and geomancy. There I learned the spiritual background influencing my designs which is lending magic spirit to my works. Proportions, size, shape and colours can be arrange in a way they can create positive energies.
In 2007 I diceded to go back to art and design with a 10-years master plan.
Most of my works have a deeper meaning, some of them are created to just express beauty, which in itself is a meaningful thing. My newest works are reflection the meaning of life, exploring possibilities in terms of how big can I go or combine sand art with light installation. Moving sand is the medium of my artworks just like others use oil on canvas. I let the sands tell stories of our earth’s long history. That memory is stored within the sands and minerals, which it’s invisible to our short human lives. We can literally feel those fairy-tales when interacting with a sand art. The result is always the same: First you relax, than fascination awakes. The tension between those opposite sensations reveals creativity. All in all you will earn good vibes!
Sand arts are small, silent and peaceful worlds, offering that inspiration to people. I am pleased to exhibit and cooperate with architects and designers to embed sand art into the structure of rooms, lobbies, spa areas or outdoors venues.
VITA
Bio / Exhibitions
1982 – 1986 photography, paintings with lead pencil, ink, water colour and oil
1986 – 1989 sand art: self-taught discovery and learning of that technique
1990 – 1992 several minor collective exhibitions in Austria and Switzerland
1993 Heca Glass Gallery in Bregenz, Austria, –reported by the Austrian public TV ORF
1993 opening exhibition of the ‘Galerie Boucherie’ in Uetikon, Lake Zurich
1994 Büro, Innsbruck, Austria; Hotel Face, Davos, Switzerland
1995 in the Earl’s Palace in Hohenems, Austria
1996 in the Earls Court in London
1996 new shores: concentrating on reproductive series, research and development of the technique; creative in the field of materials and production technique
1996 – 2005 industrial designs for industries such as Olymp heating systems in Telfs, Austria
2004 first home game in Lustenau in the ‘Multi-Kulti’ the youth centre at that time
2003 – 2005 studies to become healer of living spaces with teachers Gerald P. Ritzberger and Gabriele Sturm: feng shui, geomancy, Goethe’s science of colours and radiesthesia (about natural and artifical waves); that knowledge is building the base for Sandman’s touching and healing designs
2005 Reed Messen, Salzburg, Austria: installation about zengardens
2007 setting new target back to art, design and architecture with sand art
2009 „European Design in Japan“ – a collective exhibition by the EU Commission for only 40 participants
2010 „Creator” exhibited in the Karuizawa Glass Museum, Japan
2010 „The Great Wall of Sand” – installation at the ICFF show in New York
2011 Sensual perspectives – collective exhibition, Agora Gallery, Chelsea, New York
2012 National Ping Tung Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2012 the members night at the Denver Art Museum, Denver
2013 NHK – Japans moring news Ohayu Nippon features sand art as approbate remedy against May Disease
2013 installation ‘The Mind Spa’ at Artprize 2013 in Grand Rapids, Michigan
2014 opening of the „KB Sand Art Gallery“ in the Beijing Central Mall, Beijing
2015 exhibition on the Japanese luxury liner MS Asuka during their around the world cruise
2015 opening exhibition of the K11 gallery inside the K11 complex, Shanghai
2015 collective exhibition at the Art Beijing and Beijing Designer Week
2017 Art Beijing –exhibition in the Beijing National Museum and an installation during the official opening in the Beijing Central Mall
2017 Louis Vuitton –window design featured in over 1,100 stores world-wide
2019 First exhibition featuring KB masterpieces inside the Hankyu Department in Hakata, Japan
2020 –until today – participating countless exhibitions of top luxury goods in Japan
