Acrylic on canvas, 150 x 220 cm
Salomé (Wolfgang Ludwig Cihlarz, *1954 in Karlsruhe, Germany) is one of the most famous representatives of the Neue Wilden.

After commuting between Berlin and New York, Salomé now lives and works in the German capital. His paintings - including the colour-intensive series "Swimmer" and "Water Lilies" - are collected and shown all over the world. In his paintings, he deals with the subject of homosexuality in an unusually direct way, reflecting one of his great life themes. "Salomé constantly seemed displeased about the fact that it still required self-expression to become a figure of defiance against the norm as a homosexual. Even today, he exaggerates his role to the extreme, making himself a work of art in his role..." (from: Heinrich Klotz, Die Neuen Wilden in Berlin, Stuttgart 1984, p. 149). He reflects his existence in his pictures and sees himself as a taboo-breaker who demands from society the much invoked values of tolerance and respect, which are often not given in everyday life. At the same time, however, it would be too short-sighted to limit him to this role alone.

The versatile artist also portrays celebrities, makes punk music and performances, designs table settings for well-known porcelain manufacturers and is regularly involved in charity projects.