Christoph Niemann

This elaborate book features over 160 ink and pencil drawings by Christoph Niemann, each a story of an unfamiliar place. They are observations on traveling, arriving and immersing oneself, on the melancholy of being on the road and the adventure of discovering new destinations—among them New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Seville and Kyoto.

Regardless of their subjects, these are all sketches that grasp the magic, light and mood of a place in a handful of virtuoso strokes. In Niemann’s own words: “Over time memories change. Most things fade, while others become more significant. Connections arise that one wasn’t aware of originally. Sometimes a drawing can capture all this in a new and surprising way. And with some luck, the picture feels as authentic as the moment itself.”

Born in Waiblingen, Germany, in 1970, Christoph Niemann is an artist, graphic designer and author of various books. His work has appeared on more than 25 New Yorker covers since 1998, with illustrations in Weltkunst magazine, Wired and the New York Times Magazine. He was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 2010. Niemann lives and works in Berlin.

Berlin-based Christoph Niemann (born 1970) simply can’t resist traveling. Luckily for us, he’s not just a standard globetrotter but an artist who masterfully captures his surroundings, wherever they may be, in his characteristically vibrant brush and ink drawings. “As an artist,” he says, “I’m conscious of the limitations that come from seeing the world through a Western lens. That’s why I like to travel: because traveling requires—and inspires—a shift in perspective.” And so, in Away, we accompany him on journeys to all the destinations our wanderlust might desire, be they picturesque towns, bustling cities or sublime nature: from the elegant Tuileries of Paris to the dramatic Arctic forms of the Svalbard archipelago, from Angkor Wat to São Paulo and Venice and beyond. The drawings are quietly enchanting snapshots of the world around us, transporting the viewer to wherever Niemann picked up his brush. Stripped down and restrained, in vibrant colors, they awaken in the viewer the desire for travel and adventure.
Christoph Niemann (born 1970) is an award-winning illustrator, the creator of the Abstract Sunday feature in the New York Times Magazine and a regular contributor to the New Yorker. His previous publications include Souvenir and Abstract City, based on his popular New York Times feature.