Jonathan Meese (born January 23, 1970, Tokyo) is a German painter, sculptor, performance artist and installation artist based in Berlin and Hamburg. His (often multi-media) works include collages, drawings and writing. He also designs theater sets and wrote and starred in a play, "De Frau: Dr. Poundaddylein - Dr. Ezodysseusszeusuzur" in 2007 at the Volksbühne Theater.

Meese attended Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg, but left the school before completing his studies and was picked up by Berlin gallery Contemporary Fine Arts. An early installation, "Ahoi de Angst," presented at the first Berlin Biennale in 1998, gained him international attention and caused his career to skyrocket. He has worked virtually non-stop ever since. His installations are results of his manic collecting of a unique style of cult and kitch paraphernalia which he presents in "works of remarkable formal effectiveness." [1] Of his work it has been written, "Jonathan Meese can tell a story in such a gripping way that you would never have the idea to doubt its truth. Especially his installations benefit from this quality," [2] and, about the Berlin Biennale in particular, "It was thus clear that Meese had indeed put his finger on the pulse of his generation and presented it." [3] (To read a review of the biennale, see External Links.)

The prolific artist views Art as completely independent of human influence. He has stated, "Art is its own motive force, its own drive, its own instinct, its own reality, its own politics and its own confusion. For Art, human sensibility is simply not relevant." [4] His works are filled with references to history, literature, pop culture and the art world, which "constitute a portrait gallery that the German collector Harald Falkenberg has described as an “archeo-family.” [5] Meese explains that these figures are complete in themselves; they cannot be reduced, but are summed up in their name or their image, such as Napoleon, Darth Vader, Alex De Large, Ezra Pound. He favors gestures with this quality of totality as well, for example, the Hitler salute has factored heavily into his performances.

He has been included in exhibitions “Spezialbilder” at Contemporary Fine Arts in Berlin, “Grotesk!” at Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt and “Schnitt bringt Schnitte” at Ausstellungsraum Schnitt in Köln. Recent exhibitions include Thanks, Wally Whyton (Revendaddy Phantomilky on Coconut Islandaddy) at Modern Art, London, and a performance at Tate Modern, entitled Noel Coward Is Back — Dr. Humpty Dumpty vs. Fra No-Finger.[6] He has exhibited at Modern Art, London, Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris, and Centro Cultural Andratx, Mallorca.

He is represented by Contemporary Fine Arts in Berlin, Leo Koenig in New York, and Modern Art in London. Currently he is cooperating with the composer Karlheinz Essl on an installation shown at the Essl Museum in Vienna/Klosterneuburg.