From Greek Antiquity to Glossy

Manzur Kargar is a contemporary painter born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. He moved to Germany at the age of five and was raised in West Berlin. Kargar studied painting at the University of Fine Arts (HBK) in Braunschweig and at the University of the Arts (UdK) in Berlin. Since 1992, he has lived and worked in Berlin, with periods spent in Los Angeles and New York.

In his early career, Kargar focused on classical art, drawing inspiration from Hellenistic Greece and creating epic paintings featuring mythological themes. Over time, his focus shifted toward contemporary culture, where he began to reinterpret mass media imagery from advertising, glossy magazines, television, and the internet. His hyperrealistic oil paintings often depict seductive, surreal, and glamorous figures, which he extracts from their original contexts and repositions into new, sometimes unsettling, scenarios. This approach creates a sense of familiarity and disorientation, challenging viewers to reconsider the visual narratives of modern media.

Kargar’s technique involves creating digital collages as preliminary studies, which he then translates into meticulously layered oil paintings.

With the combination of digital and classic art, Kargar’s paintings mark the span of painting from the originated emotional base into the inevitable digital age.

Kargar’s work has been exhibited internationally, with solo and group shows across Europe and the United States. His paintings are part of various private and public collections, including the Capelouzos Art Museum, Athens and the Berlinische Galerie in Berlin

In addition to his visual art, Kargar is an accomplished musician and composer. He was a member of the band ARTISTS ON HORSES and currently collaborates with Lilian Maria in the music project SHE WILL LISTEN, blending minimalist soundscapes with electronic beats and expressive vocals.

Stats

  • born in Kabul/Afghanistan
  • studied painting at the „HBK Braunschweig“ (University of Fine Arts) and at the „UdK Berlin“ (University of Fine Arts)
  • musician and composer in various bands recent project SHE WILL LISTEN
  • lives and works in Berlin

Publications

  • THE HOTEL, She Will Listen, Vinyl Album
  • COVART, Capelouzos Art Museum, Athens
  • DARK WAVE EP, Arists On Horses, Vinyl 12″ EP
  • 35 x 35 Art Project, Capelouzos Art Museum, Athens
  • 2013 Manzur Kargar, individual catalogue
  • SIMON BART GALLERY, group exhibition catalogue
  • 2011 CHRISTIAN HOHMANN FINE ART, group exhibition catalogue
  • 2010 Manzur Kargar, individual catalogue
  • 2007 Manzur Kargar, large size calender
  • 2005 Manzur Kargar, individual catalogue
  • 2000 Manzur Kargar, individual catalogue
  • 1999 Paravant project, group exhibition catalogue
  • 1998 Manzur Kargar, individual catalogue
  • 1996 „Casus Belli“, group exhibition catalogue
  • 1996 „Herrschaft des Schönen II“ (The Power of Beauty ll), group exhibition catalogue
  • 1995 „Herrschaft des Schönen I“ (The Power of Beauty l), group exhibition catalogue

Music

SHE WILL LISTEN

Lilian Maria – lyrics, music, vocals, bass and the painter and musician Manzur Kargar – guitar, Beats, sounds
have been creating a powerful, hypnotically captivating minimalist sound with soaring guitars & electronic beats since 2021. Held together by the extroverted, fearless voice and stage presence of Lilian Maria. — listen here —

ARTISTS ON HORSES

Well-known for their powerful and lucid performances, the members of Artists On Horses – Manzur Kargar, Henrik Drescher, Johannes Einfalt and Oliver Gröne – constantly develop on their new kind of music. Where art itself has its delimiter, music nourishes the meaning of word and sound. — listen here —