Ulrich Pester (b. 1980, Hanover, Germany) is a painter and multidisciplinary artist whose practice unfolds through layering, process, and playful experimentation. Drawing from everyday motifs, his works transform the familiar into uncanny compositions that hover between figuration and abstraction, often employing trompe-l’œil, irony, and art-historical references to question the act of painting itself.
He studied graphic design and fine arts at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste (HBK) Braunschweig under Walter Dahn, later returning as a lecturer in painting. His work has been exhibited widely, with solo shows at Haus Mödrath (Kerpen), Kunsthalle Nuremberg, Sommer Contemporary Art (Tel Aviv), DEAR FUTURE ME (Brussels), and Thomas Rehbein Gallery (Cologne and Brussels), alongside numerous group exhibitions across Europe.
Pester received the Marianne Defet Painting Scholarship (2012) and the Advancement Award for Fine Arts from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2009). He lives and works in Cologne.