Before we get into your work, can you just tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Lars Stenchly, I’m a 22-year-old artist from Germany with Brazilian roots.
Before I became a full-time artist, I actually came from professional sports, I played volleyball on a national level, lived in a sports boarding school, and later moved to Berlin. After several injuries, I rediscovered painting and slowly realized that art wasn’t just a hobby for me, it became the one thing that made sense.
I started posting my work on social media, and over time it turned into a career. Today, art is my language, my identity, and the way I understand the world.
We are curious about your past and your style. When did you get started with art, what are your preferred topics and how would you describe your style?
I started drawing very early, but I only truly returned to art in my teenage years, almost by accident, through injury, silence and a lot of frustration. That’s when I realized that painting helps me process things that I can’t put into words.
My work today is shaped by symbols, doves, horses, lambs, flowers. I use them to talk about topics like conflict, identity, hope and the tension between peace and violence. I’m especially drawn to national flowers of countries in conflict, which became a whole series of paintings.
Stylistically, I mix realism with surreal, almost futuristic elements, cyborg horses, mechanical doves, flowers wrapped in tension. My paintings often look soft and emotional, but when you look closer, there’s something broken or conflicted underneath.
That contrast is what interests me the most.
To be part of our project, we asked each artist to address certain topics in their designs that we should all think about more often. Can you briefly explain what your designs are about and what message you want to convey with your designs for maezen.
This collection is special because it’s the first time my art becomes wearable.
My paintings are usually large, heavy, symbolic, and clothing is the opposite: it’s close to the body, part of daily life. For me, the designs are about identity, self-expression, and protection. They carry pieces of my visual world, controlled chaos, tenderness, conflict, symbols, but in a way that feels personal and subtle.
The beanie means a lot to me because I wear one almost every day, it became a part of my look, almost like a signature. Same with the oversized silhouettes: I always wear wide, flowing jeans and comfortable layers. So the collection doesn’t just show my art, it shows me, the way I actually move through the world.
The message behind the designs is simple:
you can carry art with you, and you can carry your identity with you. Even in chaos, you can create something that feels like home.
Last question, is there one thing which is important to you that you would like to share with our community?
Yes.
I think the most important thing in art, and in life, is honesty. You don’t need to have everything figured out. My work comes from questions, not answers. From inner conflict, from searching, from not knowing who I am all the time.
If there’s something I want to share, it’s this:
you’re allowed to be unfinished. Your identity, your art, your journey, all of it can be in progress. And that’s where the truth usually is.
