Chrigu Blum (41) is a Swiss artist and lighting designer, recognized for his work with the band Zeal & Ardor and many others. After a twenty-five-year detour, he presented his first cohesive series of independent artworks in 2025, with the exhibition HERAS at Dead End in Berne. In Oslo, he is showing works from this series as well as new pieces. For both he and his works, it’s a premiere outside of Switzerland.
He grew up in Zweisimmen in the Swiss Alps and began drawing as a child. Chrigu published his first small works while still in school. Although he was acknowledged early for his talent, he initially did not pursue an artistic career. After training as a polymechanic and working in various fields, he eventually found his calling in concert and theater lighting. As a lighting designer, he worked on numerous productions both in Switzerland
and abroad.
His return to drawing was sparked by a hand drawn proposal for a lighting concept for the German pop icon Nena (99 Luftballons). Since then, many of his lighting designs begin as comprehensive sketches – works that often develop into independent artworks themselves. These drawn designs became his signature and have gained international attention, notably
from Moby.
During a studio period in Berne in 2024, Chrigu began to focus intensively on painting. He developed a distinct, intuitive black-and-white technique inspired by the human anatomy and fragmented body forms. In just a few intensive days, he created the first series of works for HERAS.
More pics coming soon…
