Martin Assig is a contemporary German painter primarily working in encaustic and collage on paper. Characterized by his brightly colored patterns and deliberately “naïve” style, Assig creates many of his works by overpainting found thrift store canvases. His finished pieces often maintain the look and size of medieval manuscripts, and pull from many different sources, including the abstract painting of Paul Klee, folklore illustrations, historical depictions of the body, and comic books. His work can sometimes achieve the appearance of relief sculpture as the encaustic wax, unlike other mediums, can be built up and layered so that it lends a distinctive weight and depth to the painted surface. Born in 1959 in Schwelm, Germany, Assig went on to study at the University of Arts in Berlin. Today, his work can be found in the Federal Art Collection of Germany and The Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others. The artist lives and works in Berlin, Germany.