As a painter, Alexander Koch makes use of the conventions and techniques of the medium, but he has been developing his own approach to incorporating the experience of drawing and mark making into the expressive anatomy of his figurative painting. His gestural, highly textured style works best on large and raw canvases. With a classical approach to color and composition, he uses contemporary imagery, juxtaposing familiar painting archetypes and themes with personal fixations and virtual formal qualities, finding compelling ways to blend past, present, and future.

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Koch is predominantly interested in creating a meeting point between two or more subject matters from unpredictable sources. He uses this as a starting point to navigate the uncertainty of image making, re-proposing ideas and allowing the image to establish its own set of rules. His paintings feature archetypal symbols of today’s youth culture alongside classical compositions, deformed frames, and intuitive imagery.

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When working with a set composition drawn from pop culture or art history, he prefers to sketch in advance on paper, selecting characters from his image archive to populate the compositional blueprint. The characters in his paintings are a result of his medium-specific process—they emerge from the stages he constructs for them, rather than being predetermined subjects. They serve more as manifestations of an inner expression that arises through his engagement with painting as both a medium and a tradition.

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Born to classical ballet dancers and raised in a family steeped in classical art, yet growing up in a world of digital entertainment, Koch draws inspiration from both realms. He seeks to merge these influences in his explorations of painting, printmaking, sculptural frames, and assemblage.

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Symbolically established characters often appear in his work, suggesting themes of struggle, resilience, and the search for belonging. Yet this is not the ancient world of Odysseus—instead, through references to art historical techniques and contemporary youth culture, such as anime, video games, and streetwear, Koch places his characters in a dystopian vision of the present. These figures represent the spirit of youth—marked by strong naivety and a drive to continuously advance, adapt, and reshape society toward new ideals.