Painter, artist & founder of Crealumi

Colors, light, and stories have accompanied me for as long as I can remember. I'm Nadine Lotterjouk – painter, illustrator, and founder of Crealumi , a brand that combines art, color, and emotion.
For over 20 years, I've been immersed in the world of painting – a journey through materials, styles, and forms of expression.
Art was never something I consciously sought out. It was simply there – a language that speaks through me of its own accord and, over the years, has found many ways to manifest itself.

Even during my studies at the IBKK Bochum, I sensed that art isn't just a craft, but something that flows through me.
I experimented with all kinds of paints – spray cans, brushes, oil, acrylic, watercolor, and later airbrush – and on a wide variety of materials, from smooth to rough, from soft to hard surfaces.
Only in drawing have I remained true to myself: I've always been accompanied by – for me, the only true tools – 2B pencils and two blending stump brushes, one thin and one thick, which elicit a "wow" because the hatching disappears.
And when it comes to painting, I've trusted the same three brushes for years. A few others have come and gone, quickly fading into the past.
Every technique was a new chapter, every material a new experience – and everything taught me to see, feel, and create in a different way.

Over the years, numerous works have been created – murals, illustrations, and commissioned art in many areas.
In collaboration with Atelier DerArt, I had the opportunity to paint life-size costumes in the shape of fruits and vegetables for the brand ›Freche Freunde‹, which the team wore while touring Germany promoting their organic children's snacks. I also painted part of the clothing for the mascot Teena at the Toy Fair and created large-format works for the Odysseum Cologne , the Museum for Children and Technology.

In 2012, I was awarded Best Newcomer at the international Airbrush Convention in Rosmalen (NL) – a moment that wasn't an end for me, but rather a milestone.
After years of technical precision, I felt a stronger pull back towards free painting – towards movement, structure, and intuition.

From 2015 to 2021, I was the co-founder and creative force behind "Piekserei ," a tattoo studio that grew from a small workshop into a well-known hub for art and community.
Together with a rotating cast of guest and team artists, we cultivated an environment over many years where creativity, trust, and meticulous craftsmanship thrived.
It was particularly moving to witness the journey of people across generations – from a grandchild's first tattoo to the memorial portraits of their grandparents.
Art became a unifying experience, connecting stories and life paths.

As varied as my path has been, my love belongs to painting.
I was and am fascinated by French art—by Monet, whose color transforms into movement,
and by Renoir , in whose paintings the human spirit shines warmly and radiantly.
Cézanne united structure and emotion into a new truth.
And Van Gogh , the movement in his paintings, the colors, the light—magnificent!
His idea that the styles and temperaments of many artists together create a work that shines brighter than the work of any single individual—wonderful!
Like an orchestra, a unified force—many styles, one spirit.
This diversity, this interplay, is for me the heart of art.

This idea of ​​polyphony accompanies me in my art:
I combine techniques, styles, and colors until a work begins to breathe—fulfilled, vibrant, balanced.
For me, painting is not a plan, but a process.
Ideas arise spontaneously, find their form, and sometimes something emerges that quietly reaches the viewer—unintentionally, simply because it is real.

With Crealumi, I create art for children – lovingly illustrated pictures, full of imagination, color, and light.
With Kohiko by Crealumi, I give my ideas even more space and freedom to create beautiful things for adults as well.
Both worlds belong together – they arise from the same joy of creation and the same love of art.