Robert Janitz

Robert Janitz (b. 1962, Alsfeld, Germany) is a contemporary painter known for his bold, abstract canvases that balance humor, gesture, and materiality. After studying Sanskrit and art history in Germany, he lived in Paris for many years before relocating to New York and later Mexico City, where he currently lives and works. Janitz is best recognized for his large-scale works featuring sweeping, textured brushstrokes that recall the motion of everyday acts—like buttering toast or polishing shoes—transforming mundane gestures into painterly abstraction. His practice often blends saturated color fields with playful surfaces, exploring perception, language, and the boundaries of painting itself. Over the past two decades, his work has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries, including solo and group shows across Europe, the United States, and Latin America. His works are part of the permanent collections of the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, France; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, USA; Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea; the Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia and the Hall Art Foundation, Reading, VT, USA. Robert Janitz, Studio Rats, 2025, Oil, wax, flour on linen, 25 × 20 inches (63.5 × 50.8 cm) Robert Janitz, Masquerade in the Park, 2024, Oil, wax, flour on linen, 25 ½ × 19 ½ inches (65 × 50 cm) Robert Janitz, Camino a Comala, 2024, Oil, wax, flour on linen, 51 × 39 inches (130 × 100 cm)