For India-born, Germany-based artist Jolly Kunjappu, peace, love, and freedom are perennial sources of inspiration. Unbound by a singular style or technique, Kunjappu’s work is at once deeply personal and universally applicable.
Recently, his work was featured on the cover of eXperimenta magazine, and he started work on a new documentary film, further expanding the scope of his material explorations and the core themes of his practice. We reached out to Kunjappu to learn more about the origins of his career as an artist, and how these recent developments in his work came about.
Jolly Kunjappu. Courtesy of the artist.
Can you walk us through your background, and your journey as an artist? What do you see as one of your most significant early projects?
During a performance workshop I gave for a physically handicapped artist group in Munich, Germany, in April of 1990, I requested that they paint their feelings in response to my music, storytelling, and performance. At the end of the session, one of the artists asked me if I also paint. My answer was no; his second question was why not, which moved me. It ignited something in me and I started painting that very same day.
During the same year, I was asked to paint on part of the fallen Berlin Wall. Now my painting Dancing to Freedom in the Eastside Gallery Berlin memorial is a monument.
Jolly Kunjappu, Simply Pleasure (2012–13). Courtesy of the artist.
In what ways has your practice evolved since your early work? Have your sources of inspiration or preferred mediums changed significantly, or do they remain the same?
Being an emotional and a spontaneous painter, I am very much influenced by my momentary feelings and experiences in life. The expression of these can be seen in various kinds of paintings of mine.
The only three paintings that I have preplanned are all from 2026: FREEDOM, PEACE, and LOVE.
Jolly Kunjappu, PEACE (2026). Courtesy of the artist.
Can you tell us about your work that was recently featured on the cover of eXperimenta magazine? What led to this collaboration with the publication?
An art journalist from eXperimenta magazine went through my archives of art and writing and was excited by my work. She asked if she could interview me for their December 2025 issue, which was ultimately published featuring many of my paintings and philosophical musings. This year in March, when they saw my paintings LOVE and PEACE, they asked my permission to have PEACE featured on the cover of their May 2026 issue.
Jolly Kunjappu, LOVE (2026). Courtesy of the artist.
And can you tell us as well a bit about your upcoming documentary? What inspired you to work on this film?
As a peace-loving person, I am producing a documentary film fittingly called Peace On Earth to inspire people around the world to actively do something toward both personal and world peace, so that generations to come can live in a peaceful world.
Jolly Kunjappu, COLORS IN LOVE (2026). Courtesy of the artist.
What does your creative process look like? Do you plan and sketch everything out ahead of time or is it more intuitive and spontaneous?
I don’t plan. I listen to my inner voice and paint intuitively, expressing my feelings. It’s a flow which I can’t explain.
What’s next? Are there any works or projects that you are currently working on now or plan to work on next that you can share with us?
I am participating in a group exhibition in Bingen, Germany, on June 20, 2026. But currently, I am focusing on my documentary film and I am sure some new paintings will emerge during the process. I like to be surprised through my work.
Explore the work of Jolly Kunjappu here.