World-renowned ceramic sculptor and painter Regine Bechtler began her career as a professional artist in the mid 1990’s.   She takes risks in her work, experimenting with the fundamentals of ranges of emotions through a variety of mediums.   Her work is as varied as the venues in which they have appeared—  from sculpture in the Portland Art Museum, to commissioned paintings in Charlotte’s “The House of Jazz.”   Ms. Bechtler’s artworks have been featured on the Style Network, and Fox TV, as well as in the Charlotte Observer, Spotlight Magazine, and the Charlotte Official Visitors Guide. 

German born and bi-lingual, she was influenced at a young age by her artist grandfather who taught her how to view the world through creative lenses, shaping her unique style and vision.  Her travels to over thirty countries around the world have also been highly influential.   Regine shared her love of art with students by teaching in Portland, Oregon where she created a sculpture that won the highest honors for the Oregon school district.   She exhibits frequently in Germany, France, Ecuador and across the United States, and can be found in both private and museum collections all over the world.  

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work is powerful and evocative.  I enjoy defying expectations through paradoxes that explore cultural challenges and skewed perceptions.  In my art, reality is often blended with abstraction, masculinity with femininity, and the living with the dead.  

This contrast extends into my process as well.   I like to mix rough materials with smooth surfaces, glazes with matte, and soft lines with hard edges.   My ceramic sculptures often incorporate materials such as steel, porcelain, glass, and gold luster to provide contrast. 

Creating each piece is a multi-step process.   In order to incorporate these diverse materials and textures, I have to fire many of my sculptures several times.

My goal is to convey perception rather than reflect reality.  Internal and external influences are incorporated into my designs, with faces meant to convey emotions and details meant to express societal pressure.   

I like to blend the beautiful with the grotesque, joy with sorrow, and pleasure with pain—  to remind us that these are not mutually exclusive.   As far as my inspiration goes,  Da Vinci, Saint Phalle, Rodin, Bacon, Bosch, Bruegel, Dali, and Ernst have influenced me most heavily.  Their work is often seen as rather dark, some would even say grotesque, yet it is evocative.  I strive for each of my pieces to be more than a pretty sculpture:  I want them to be bold and emotionally stirring.