Valentin van der Meulen's 'Birds' Drawings at Galerie Hengevoss-Dürkop

Valentin van der Meulen's second solo exhibition at Galerie Hengevoss-Dürkop in Hamburg, titled 'Birds. Zeichnungen,' runs until July 25, 2026. The show features large-scale charcoal drawings that blur photography, drawing, painting, and installation. Van der Meulen erases parts of his drawings with erasers, stones, or oil paint, creating works about transience and memory. A central piece depicts five swallows in a misty forest, with three cut out as negatives to emphasize materiality. 'Sea View' appears sharp from afar but abstract up close. 'Nuage' references the 1986 Challenger disaster, overlaid with enlarged diary entries in black oil paint. 'Irina' uses colorful raster dots to address the disappearance of a Russian teacher who spoke about the Ukraine war. The artist, from an ancient dynasty, draws from found photographs and avoids projections.