Going with the flow is one way to describe the urban art of German-born street artist Simon Röhlen, 34, who goes by the street or tag name “KEF!”
While the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word kef as a “state of dreamy tranquility,” the artist chose the name to mean a scar on your skin, comparing the scar to the street tag, both having a long-lasting impact.
KEF! and his work will be part of the exhibit “Burner: The Exhibition,” at the Onessimo Fine Art Gallery in West Palm Beach through Nov. 12, as part of its North American tour.
A burner piece is described as a complicated, often legal street artwork that takes time and effort and makes a style statement. It’s so good that it “burns off the wall.”
The traveling exhibit of urban art features some of the most recognizable names in the graffiti and pop culture art movement, such as Banksy, Anthony Lister, Mr. Doodle, Kaws, Vinnie Nylon, Takashi Murakami, Reka One, Ben Eine, Dotmaster, Craig Knight, Harry Bunce, Henri Lamy, Dalek (aka James Marshall), Magnus Gjoen, Pure Evil, and the Connor Brothers, a pseudonym for British artists James Golding and Mike Snelle.
The two became known for their Pulp Fiction series, which uses stylized pinup artwork from dime novels juxtaposed with captions like “I drink to make other people more interesting” and “I don’t want to go to heaven,” with giclées on display at the exhibit.
“I am excited to present KEF!, a talented and influential artist, in person in my gallery, as well as some of the most important urban artists making a name in the contemporary art world,” says Debra Onessino, principal of Onessimo Fine Art Gallery.
“This exhibition opens doors to new conversations around art, freedom of expression, societal issues, and genres of work that have been at the forefront of the global contemporary art movement,” she says.
KEF! has on display the 2021 43-by-31-inch acrylic on canvas painting, “Deepness of the Moment #9,” with its strong black-and-white swirling lines and blocks of color; the 2023 “Slow Flowing River #8,” a 28-by-20-inch acrylic on canvas, the bold black lines offset by a Studebaker blue background and chunks of yellow; and the large-scale, 80-by-86-inch 2023 “Crescent Moon Fills My Heart #2,” acrylic on canvas, accented with touches of yellow, blue, and red.
KEF! began experimenting with graffiti art at the age of 14 and left his home base of Berlin for London in 2013, where his career took off.
His work can be seen at the Haus in Berlin, the Park Lane Hong Kong Hotel, and the Commerce building in Baton Rouge, LA, as well as on large-scale murals in the U.S., China, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Spain, and Wales.
Retailer Urban Outfitters commissioned KEF! to design interiors for their stores in London, Berlin, Stuttgart, and Hong Kong. One of his most exciting commissions, he says, was the interior design he created in 2017 for the Park Lane Hong Kong Hotel’s SKYE Roofbar, with the panorama of the city and harbor below.
“The view was just crazy over the skyline of Hong Kong,” KEF! remembers, noting that this project launched his international art career.
With a solo exhibition in Germany at the Museum Goch, a collab with Luis Vuitton, and representing Germany as a part of the official artistic efforts of @visitqatar and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar for last year’s games, his career scored more than a few goals.
Finding inspiration in nature and in the practice and rituals of Buddhism, KEF! is a devotee of Pure Land Buddhism, one of the most popular forms of Buddhism in eastern Asia, and has been to meditation retreats in China and most recently in Taiwan.
His art, a series of swirling and hypnotic patterns—he doesn’t paint lines or straight edges—is intended to promote peace and harmony in keeping with his spiritual beliefs.
“I find the flow relaxing,” KEF! says about his signature style. “It makes me calm to paint these flowing lines, and this is important to me.”
Not connecting with the traditional words and letters of graffiti-style artists, he discovered that these large-scale, patterned murals, using geometric abstract lines, resonate more with him.
“My work allows me to express what is inside of me,” says the self-taught artist who once apprenticed to be an industrial mechanic. Although he says he knew it wasn’t for him after the first week, KEF! persevered and finished the 3½-year apprenticeship.
“I took it as motivation to push my art career forward,” he says. “At the end, it was good, because it brought me to a more satisfying career.”
An admirer of London urban artist Stik (“his work is simple, but with a strong meaning”), known for his iconic depictions of stick figures, KEF! also has an appreciation for the classic art of Russian avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich.
“His work is abstract, but very spiritual,” KEF! says. “When I read the meaning of his work, I really feel his spirit.”
As successful as he is at a young age, KEF! says his ultimate career goal would be to have an exhibit at MoMa in New York City.
“That’s when I would know I’ve really made it,” he says with a qualifier, also represented by his Buddhist philosophy and practice. “I would try to keep a beginner’s mind,” he says. “It’s unhealthy to focus on an end point. I want to keep my fire and curiosity alive.”
He says, “Success is more internal than external. As long as I can grow internally and be successful each day, I try to keep a balance between my material and spiritual goals.”
A seeker and a searcher on a spiritual journey, KEF! believes the world needs more harmony and tries to impart that message through his work.
His advice? “Try to relax when you observe my work,” he says. “Switch off your mind and try to feel my work emotionally and spiritually, and summon some inner peace and harmony.”
KIF! comments, “I hope my work conveys these feelings into my viewers’ lives so they can feel more calm, centered, and peaceful.”
Onessimo Fine Art Gallery is located at 4530 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens. For more information, visit www.Onessimofineart.com or call (561) 355-8061. Meet KEF! in person Nov. 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. or Nov. 12 from 2 to 5 p.m.
