Jonas Hödicke - Vernissage

Hödicke has been fascinated by Japan since childhood—its samurai swords, brave warriors, and colorful festivals, but also its mysterious geishas. Inspired by masterpieces such as those of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, he creates a unique symbiosis between his artistic language and the cultural diversity of Japan.


“Unfamiliar in the City” is a bold and unique exhibition that opens up a new perspective on Japanese martial arts and urban aesthetics in Berlin. Hödicke invites you to experience this extraordinary encounter – a fusion that breaks traditional boundaries and shows art in a completely new light.

 

Jonas Hödicke: Born in the shadow of the Wall

Jonas Hödicke, son of Berlin painter Professor Karl Horst Hödicke, grew up in a city that was still divided by borders. The wall not only shaped the cityscape, but also his view of the world.

In interviews, he recalls that he never had much time for authority figures. Teachers, trainers, bosses—none of them lasted long, and he couldn't stand them either.


In the end, he had no choice but to go his own way, even though he resisted art for a long time.


Jonas Hödicke wanted to live his own life without constantly being compared to his father's work. Nevertheless, art was a natural part of his environment – the studios, the smell of paint, the constant rustling of paper.


“I get bored so quickly,” he once said to his wife, referring to his restless nature and desire to try new things.


This interplay of curiosity and impatience is reflected in his work: light and shadow, movement and stillness, Berlin between raw asphalt and poetic shimmer.


His childhood was not always easy—he rubbed people the wrong way, got into fights, and learned early on to assert himself. At the same time, he fell in love with the aesthetics and discipline of the samurai, fascinated by the Japanese master Hokusai. These Far Eastern influences have flowed like quiet currents into his Berlin cityscapes – where urban energy meets the precision of ancient warriors.


On September 10, 2025, this dialogue between East and West, between
street life and Japanese art tradition, will be on display at the Samurai Museum Berlin.


For Jonas Hödicke, it is not a departure from Berlin, but an expansion of his perspective – and perhaps the clearest expression of his own signature style to date.

 


Text: Jennifer Hödicke



A collaboration between the SAMURAI Museum Berlin and Galerie Mond Fine Arts