Julius-Hendrik Heims

Early Beginnings and Signature Style

Since his early childhood, Julius creates and paints. At the age of 11, he started to draw graffiti. At this time, he also created his signature “SWED.” Inspired by several artists and styles, he found his very own style for the letters S, W, E, and D. Soon, he began actually spraying graffiti for projects or commissioned work.

Artistic Mediums and Techniques

Julius mainly works with acrylic, spray paint, and pastel chalk on canvas. The collage technique, combined with paint and gold leaf, is an essential part of his creative process. There are no limits to his mixed media works, where he often uses old paper from billboards or pieces of last week’s newspaper to form mostly abstract figures and figurative motifs. His gestural abstract painting technique, along with vibrant colors on ambitious canvases, captures the viewer’s attention.

Music as an Inspiration

Julius has developed a unique artistic language defined by a special connection between music and color. For him, hearing the colors during creation makes the process distinctive. Each song and melody contributes to a part of the painting’s development. Listening to diverse music genres—from Italian and jazz to rock, electronic, and classical music—helps him create. The title of each painting reflects the song Julius was listening to when the work was completed, giving viewers a clue about the music that influenced its creation.

Academic Background and Interests

Since autumn 2019, Julius has been studying Art History and Economics at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. While art remains his primary passion, he also enjoys riding his motorcycle and engaging in sports. His studies, combined with access to one of the most extensive art history libraries in Germany, provide inspiration from various topics and artists.