Vlad Bunoan

German painter and sculptor Peter Zimmerman

Article (news)

Leah C. Salterio

German artist Peter Zimmerman is in the Philippines for the second time for a solo exhibition, “Painting Rules,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) in Taguig City.Zimmerman is no stranger to the Filipino art scene. Three years ago, Zimmerman had his first visit to the Philippines where he did a solo presentation at Art Fair Philippines through Taiwan and New York-based gallery Nunu FineThat was the starting point for his ongoing show at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. “A lot of paintings had been sold at the time.” said Zimmerman, who sold eight to ten of his paintings.“We took a lot of those paintings and integrated it to this [new] show. Not so much shipping effort. The paintings were small and not yet framed. The paintings in the collectors’ house and integrated them into the present show [that will run until April 30].Shortly after Art Philippines, Zimmerman got an offer from Metropolitan Museum of Manila. He brought more paintings this time, around 18 pieces. Some even came from Germany.“I like breaking the rules, I&#x27;m not a machine,” Zimmerman told ABS-CBN News. &quot;I think that&#x27;s part of the game – to have some rules and to break them.”Zimmerman, who recently turned 70, discovered painting four decades ago. He was born in Freiburg in southern Germany, near the Swiss border—a place he describes as “like Heidelberg,” noting its ties to Philippine national hero Jose Rizal and its proximity to both France and Switzerland. In his mid-20s, he moved to Cologne.“Cologne is a very good city. Very flat, quiet and peaceful. It’s not so traffic there, unlike Manila,” he said.He started with installations and worked with cardboards. He also did sculptures and early paintings in canvass. His first painting was used as the book cover of a travel guide. “I was doing all kinds of jobs to pay my rent,” Zimmerman disclosed. “I even did construction work, worked as a designer before the computer era in the &#x27;80s. I was preparing printing metals before they were reproduced. I also did art for advertising. I was in my 40s when I made money and brought home my pay checks.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1773704881703GP.jpg" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="655"/> German painter and sculptor Peter Zimmerman </div>The German artist has been working with epoxy on canvas for decades. Around the turn of the millennium, many of his pieces drew from computer-generated imagery. Today, he fills entire walls with his vibrant epoxy works, often set against murals composed of layered stickers.Zimmerman arrived end of January and got busy right away to help prepare for the exhibit. He had one day off and visited the National Museum in Intramuros.“I was very impressed by [Juan] Luna and the mural on the history of the Philippines with the aborigines,” Zimmerman said. “Mostly, I was focused on the paintings section, but I didn’t get to see everything.”His “Painting Rules” exhibit is his first institutional solo outing in the country. The show runs until April 30. “They all have something to do with this digital imagery I play around with,” Zimmerman shared. &quot;So all the motifs I get have a photo or any kind of digital footage behind it.&quot;Back in the late &#x27;80s and early &#x27;90s when Zimmerman was starting out, he had no idea how to extract the imagery from computers. Printing wouldn&#x27;t cut it, so he painted instead.Accompanying Zimmerman’s select works are an array of stickers by Felix Rabe collated to form patterned murals. Zimmerman said that when he was offered to exhibit in Manila, he wanted to have a special concept that features murals made out of stickers.Ten university students assisted Zimmerman in posting hundreds of stickers on the wall to form murals and the outcome left the German artist pleased.There are also stickers that are simply images, such as a fist with the Philippine flag imposed on it, the old Metropolitan Museum of Manila when it was previously located in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and of national hero Jose Rizal.The use of the museum’s old location in Manila appears a sentimental choice for Zimmerman, perhaps a nod to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s golden anniversary this year.Zimmerman is most excited about his show that he developed the idea. “There is always the difference between what you think in theory and what you see in real,” he shared. “I am very happy when we did the sticker mural. “I am not sure if I can tell them something new but I would be happy to present my artistic research and have some nice discussion about it and start a communication process.“My artistic practices in the studio start with certain rituals. I start with an idea or a thought and then somehow, I have to be humble enough to receive something wherever it comes from. I have to repeat certain things I achieved in the past. That’s how I developed my ideas.”<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774052645002625892446_872147715447676_9161882235972280694_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Metropolitan Museum of Manila/Facebook</div>He was particularly fascinated by the numerous times Jose Rizal’s face came in the search options. “Somehow his image always appeared when I Googled it,” said “Zimmerman. “I had the feeling he&#x27;s like a Che Guevara image for the Philippines. It&#x27;s like an iconic picture so I included him in the show.&quot;While in Manila, Zimmerman recently visited the walled city of Intramuros to better understand Rizal’s history. He realized that it was a touching gesture and made him more appreciative of the country’s national hero.Although he did not travel in 2025, Zimmerman will be living in a suitcase this year. After Manila, he will be in Taipei, London (United Kingdom) and Turkey. He also has a commissioned work in Algeria in the lobby of the German Embassy. He won a competition nearly a decade ago, but now, finally, it is happening.“I only travel when I need to,” Zimmerman said. “Last year, I didn’t travel at all. I’m also suffering from jet lag when I got here in Manila this time. I slept very bad here. I would wake up at 4 in the morning and I find it hard to sleep anymore.&quot;Until today, Zimmerman has not counted his paintings. He recently did “quite a strange” untitled painting and he’s not convinced if he can present it. “That’s one of those epoxy paintings in resin,” he said. “The subject is like a collage and it’s a huge painting.”

German artist Peter Zimmerman is in the Philippines for the second time to mount a solo exhibition, “Painting Rules,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) in Taguig City.

German artist Peter Zimmerman is in the Philippines for the second time to mount a solo exhibition, “Painting Rules,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) in Taguig City.

German artist Peter Zimmerman draws inspiration from Rizal, Intramuros in Manila show

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German artist Peter Zimmerman draws inspiration from Rizal, Intramuros in Manila show

Leah C. Salterio

Published Mar 21, 2026 08:38 AM PHT

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