About

I'm Lars Stenchly – half German, half Brazilian, based in Berlin. I paint over what already exists: old paintings from flea markets, banknotes, objects. I take things that were finished, forgotten or worth nothing to anyone, and give them a second life.

Where I come from

I grew up in a family where sport defined everything. For years my life had one goal: becoming a professional beach volleyball player and being on the court every single day. Then two knee surgeries at a young age pulled me out of competitive sport – from one day to the next. It forced me to ask who I am when sport is gone.

I've painted and drawn since I was a kid. The answer to that question I found in art. Volleyball never really left me though – most of my friends still come from that world, and I'm still on the court. That friction between both worlds is what my work grows out of.

A mind full of ideas

My head never stops – I have ideas for more paintings than I could ever finish. A large canvas takes weeks, so while travelling – through Japan, South America and Europe – I started painting on whatever was within reach. Often that was money. That's how the banknote originals began: small, hand-painted 1/1 pieces on real currency.

Painting over what exists

In 2023 I bought an old horse painting at a flea market and painted over it. The horses became machines – and that became Nature's Desire. In 2026 I found a similar painting by the same artist, and it turned into Afterlight. My work is often political and conceptual: peace doves, chess pieces, war as a business, references to Orwell.

Exhibitions & collaborations

I've shown my work in seven exhibitions in Berlin – including the solo show “Unfinished Peace” in Charlottenburg and two gallery shows in Mitte, where my work hung alongside works by Banksy and Warhol. In October 2026 I opened the pop-up exhibition Money Printing at ARTCLUB Berlin. For Eros Najm I painted a Versace surfboard in Rio.

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