Nikolaiviertel in person: the colorful world of Klio Karadim

She captures the personal life stories of her clients in her paintings and paints the famous Buddy Bears: a conversation with Klio Karadim.

As one of the creative people in the Nikolai quarter, we obviously have to ask you: how did you get started with brushes and colors?

Art had a pretty firm place in our family. My aunt was a sculptor and my mother was a photographer in Sofia, where I was born. At some point in my childhood we realized that I was quite good at painting and in Bulgaria you had to decide after the 7th grade what kind of high school you wanted to go to. So I went to art school from 8th grade and graduated in 1989.

What happened next and how did you end up in Germany?

My initial plan was to go to France, so I first learned French. In 1987, I started selling my paintings on a promenade on the Black Sea alongside school. Around 1990, I was invited to visit Germany by a family of German friends from Halle an der Saale. That’s how Halle came about and I actually spent 10 years there, painting and studying at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design. I also wove carpets during my studies and spent a few months in Mexico for a film project. That was a great time.

What brought you to Berlin?

At some point, Halle was just too small and I spent a lot of time in Berlin back then – also because of the art scene, of course. I then decided to move here in 2000. It was very tempting at the time and everything was still affordable in the city. Then I met my husband and in 2006 I opened my own gallery with him on Kollwitzplatz in Prenzlauer Berg. My husband is also my business partner: I paint pictures, he delivers them to customers… well, and then after a few years we wanted to move more towards Mitte…

And you’ve been in the Nikolai Quarter since 2014…

Exactly. We were often out and about in Mitte and I found it very lively here, very international, of course also because of the many tourists. The pedestrian zone means that people are very chilled out and simply have time to look around and stroll, so I immediately thought it would be a great location for my gallery. It’s now both a gallery and a studio.

What are you currently working on the most? The Buddy Bears… they are known far beyond the city limits?

I do paint Buddy Bears, that’s right. They range in size from 22 cm to 2 meters tall and there are private individuals who want to put the bear in their garden or living room. But also commercial and public clients, such as the Berlin Senate, the Bundestag and some embassies. But actually I spend most of my time with my biography pictures.

That sounds very personal.

Yes, in essence these are painted life stories. People entrust me with their stories and memories, including special events or milestones, such as meeting someone or special trips, and I bring it all together in acrylic on canvas. The biographical pictures are usually commissioned for special occasions, such as weddings, anniversaries, the birth of a child and so on. And yes, these are very personal paintings, because they also reflect very individual traits.

How do people find out about you?

Through the internet and exhibitions I’ve done, of course, but a lot of contacts are made through the Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt. I’ve been there every year for over 20 years. People pick up a flyer or, of course, there is the traditional way of recommending me to family and friends. And then I’m happy when people visit me here in the Quarter…

Speaking of which: what are your thoughts or wishes for the Nikolai Quarter?

Of course it’s great that there are only small individual businesses here and no chain stores, but I think it would be great if more vacant stores were rented out to artists and craftspeople. That would have a great appeal, also for Berliners. I mean that in the sense of an “artists’ and craftsmen’s village”. I often notice that when I talk to customers who visit me from completely different areas of Berlin, they say “I’ve never been to this neighborhood, but it’s really nice here” and they’d love to see much more art and culture.

And what are your personal plans?

I’m looking forward to the next exhibitions: on 8.8.2025 from 6 p.m. I’ll be at the Kulturnacht in Seelow and on 18.4.2026 at the Hollerhaus in Icking near Munich. In addition to the commissioned works, I also dedicate time to my own works, which are created using the technique of encaustic – beeswax on wood – or ink painting. Working independently is very important to me in order to evolve as an artist.

Klio Karadim • Am Nussbaum / Propststraße 1 • 10178 Berlin • Phone: (030) 21801816
Website: karadim.info • E-Mail: klio@karadim.de