His early paintings were abstract, characterised by intensely colourful forms that lie somewhere between graffiti and intricate ornamentation. Figures began appearing in his works around 2002, often inspired by reproductions from newspapers or history books. Influenced by the legacy of Symbolists such as James Ensor and Edvard Munch, Richter combines motifs from art history, mass media and pop culture to create idiosyncratic, surreal worlds. Ever the innovator, his recent paintings tread a path between figuration and abstraction, typified by the chaotic entanglements of fragmented bodies. Evoking a sense of rebellious energy and electric vibrancy, the figures are both playful and defiant. He uses vivid chromatic contrasts and abstracted patterning to convey a disquieting emotional tenor, heightened by the temporal and spatial indeterminacy of scenes that refuse to resolve into a coherent time, place, or even pictorial space. ‘The dynamic in my work is mainly based on pushing and shoving, or on elements that are being confronted by each other – mingling, pushing, pulling,’ he explains. Despite the underlying violence, the works convey a touching sensuality and beauty that counterbalances their restless energy.