Awakening

1945–1960

First exhibitions: Kleve, Kranenburg, Wuppertal

In his early years Beuys showed watercolours and sketches at the Kleve Artists Association's annual exhibition in the Villa Koekkoek, had a solo show at the home of Hans and Franz Joseph van der Grinten in Kranenburg, and took part in a show at the Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal.

1951–1954

Mataré's master class and a shared studio with Erwin Heerich

In 1951 Mataré accepted Beuys into his master class, where he shared a studio with Erwin Heerich; he kept it until 1954, a year after graduating.

1955–1957

Severe depression and recovery with the van der Grintens

Artistic self-doubt and poverty led Beuys to a physical and psychological crisis and a period of serious depression; he recovered in Kranenburg, at the house of his most important early patrons, the van der Grinten brothers. The episode has since been called his “shamanistic initiation”.

1958

A design for the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial

In 1958 Beuys took part in the international competition for the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial; his proposal did not win and was never realised.