I was born in 1964 in Göttingen, Germany. After school I studied graphics, film, photography and Russian in Germany and Ukraine. I was internationally active as a filmmaker and actor. Today I work as a visual artist, author and illustrator. I design picture books for children and also for adults. Books with my illustrations have been published in Zulu, Xhosa, English, Portuguese and other languages. I have exhibited my pictures at the Namibian National Gallery in Windhoek, at the Goethe Institute of Johannesburg and also in Berlin and Brussels. Apart from that I work in the field of film and scriptwriting.
1.Kalle Becker,1970 * 2.Kalle Becker, 2010 * 3.Kalle Becker and his Most Beautiful Daughter, 2025
History
born: 1964 in Göttingen, Germany
languages: German, English and Russian
schooling: 1970 until 1983 in Salzgitter, Duesseldorf and Bremen, Germany
graduation: High school graduation / Abitur
community service: 1984-85 working in the welfare sector with old people and handicapped children.
studies and professional training: 1985-93 Graphic and photo/film design; graduation: Diploma for Design
specializing in: fine arts – Prof. Iewski in Aachen, Germany and cinema – Prof. Winkelmann in Dortmund, Germany.
further education and other occupations: Short term practical training - carpentry. Course of studies at the "Lehrinstitut für Russische Sprache", Bochum, Germany, and the Polytechnic Institute in Kiev, USSR. Interpreting German, Russian and English for the Duisburg Doc-film Festival and for the European Doc-Film Institute, for the film department of the Institute of Fine Arts in Kassel, Germany, an Drehorten, bei Festivals sowie für die Europagruppe der Grünen. Teilnahme an Drehbuchworkshops.
Scriptwriting, Directing and Acting in Film
1989 "MUTTERTAG" (Mothers’ Day), short animation-movie: colour, 16 mm, 1 min. Germany
1990 "HOKUSPOKUS" children’s feature-film: colour, 16 mm, 24 min. Germany
1992 "ANDRUSHA"feature-film: colour, 35 mm, 56 min. Russia, Germany
1992 Performing as main character in „ZICHE SIMAGRE – The Castle“, feature film based on the novel by Franz Kafka; director: Dato Janelidse, 120 min. Georgia Franz Kafka, Regie: Dato Djanelidze, 120 min. Georgien
1993 „IMMER ZUM LICHT", (Always Into the Light) short feature-film: colour, 35 mm, 14 min. Georgia
2001 „FUDUKAZIS MAGIC“, multimedia storytelling video: colour, BETA, 18 min., RSA
2001 „NOZINCWADI“, documentary video: colour-b&w, BETA, 16 min., RSA
2006 „BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY“ Zeichentrickfilm, Farbe, Digital, 1 min, Südafrika
Ever since working on various scriptwriting projects
1.Muttertag 2.Hokuspokus 3.Immer zum Licht 4.Fudukazi’s Magic-the movie 5.Better Safe Than Sorry
Publications
1996 Illustrating the children’s book „FUDUKAZI’S MAGIC“ by Gcina Mhlophe for Cambridge University Press, Kapstadt – ISBN: 0-521-77895-6 (text in English)
2003 Illustrating for the collection "STORIES OF AFRICA" by Gcina Mhlophe for UKZN-Press, Pietermaritzburg – ISBN: 1-86914-035-4 (text in English; also available in Portuguese)
2006 Illustrating for the collection Gcina Mhlophe by Gcina Mhlophe für UKZN-Press, Pietermaritzburg – ISBN: 978-1-86914-111-0 (text in English)
2007 Illustrating for the story book „THE SINGING CHAMELEON“ by Gcina Mhlophe Mhlophe for Shuter & Shooter, Pietermaritzburg – ISBN: 978-0-7960-3497-7 (text in English; also available in Zulu, Xhosa, Sesotho, Afrikaans)
2010 Picture book for children – Text und Illustration: "When Daddy was Waltzing With the Candles" (Rosa's World of Stone And Grey - text in German only) for atp-Verlag, Cologne (ISBN: 978-3-943064-03-2)
2013 "The Thing About the Fish" (“Die Sache mit Paul” - text in German) - commissioned work for the pharmaceutical company Lilly Deutschland GmbH.
2014 "The Thing About Paul" (“Die Sache mit Paul” - text in German) - commissioned work for the pharmaceutical company Lilly Deutschland GmbH.
2017 Articles, short stories and columns on the topic of mental health for the online magazine „InnenLeben“
2018 Publication of the children's book project „Idube, armes kleines Zebra“ and „Matti, kleines Eichhorn“ (Matti, little squirrel) in self-publishing. (Text in German)
2019 Illustration and text for (Die Welt war grau wie Stein) (Rosa's World of Stone And Grey - text in German only) for atp-Verlag, Cologne (ISBN: 978-3-943064-18-6)
Exhibitions
1985 Joint exhibition of fine art in Wermelskirchen, Germany
2003 "Africa Evening" - Art exhibition at the district court of Hannover, Germany
2006 Art exhibition at Ratscafé, Salzgitter Bad, Germany
2007/2008 Art exhibition in "Wohnen mit allen Sinnen" in Nienburg-Weser, Germany
2008 Kunstausstellung Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, Südafrika
2008/2009 Art exhibition at the Municipal Museum of Durban, South Africa
2009 Art exhibition on the MS Astor
2009 “Africa's Colours” (“Afrikas Farben”) – art exhibition at the Mausoleum, Salzgitter Ringelheim, Germany
2010 Kunstausstellung im Goethe Centre, Namibia
2011 Kunstausstellung in der National Art Gallery, Windhoek, Namibia
2011 Art and Photo Exhibition, Diakonia Centre in Durban, South Africa
2011/12 Art exhibition in Berlin, Germany, at the “Moving Poets”
2012 Art exhibition at "Bennos feine Kost" in Salzgitter Bad, Germany
2012 Participation in the joint exhibition "70 years Salzgitter" - SZ-Lebenstedt, Germany
2014 Art exhibition "Journey with Fish" (“Reise mit Fisch”) at the Glashaus von Holle at Derneburg, Germany..
2015 Art exhibition "From A Different View" at the Mausoleum of Salzgitter Ringelheim
2015 Art exhibition "One World" in the municipal library of Saltzgitter Bad, Germany.
2017 Art exhibition of the pictures of „Idube“ and „Matti“ at the Mausoleum of Salzgitter Ringelheim, in Local History Museum of Hornburg and at the municipal libraray of Salzgitter Lebenstedt, Germany.
2018 Participation in the joint exhibition by „Spektrum e.V.“ in the town hall in Salzgitter Lebenstedt, Germany
2017 Exhibition of pictures from the cycle "From A Different View" at EUFAMI in Brussels, Belgium
2018 Participation in the joint exhibition by „Spektrum e.V.“ in the town hall in Salzgitter Lebenstedt, Germany
2018 "Journey to the Magic Flute" (“Auf dem Weg zur Zauberflöte”) Exhibition of portrait studies at the Tillyhaus – Salzgitter Bad, Germany
2019 "Zweiklang" joint exhibition with Ulla Weigelt at the Tillyhaus Salzgitter, Germany – as part of the graphics weekend – Braunschweigische Landschaft e.V.
Readings and Lecture
2014 Reading of unpublished texts in the municipal library of Salzgitter Bad, Germany
2014 Reading at the litCOLOGNE with "When Daddy was Waltzing With the Candles" (Als Papa mit den Kerzen tanzte) in Cologne, Germany
2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2019 Readings on the topic of mental illness at the DGPPN-Congress in Berlin, Germany DGPPN-Congress in Berlin, Germany
2016 Readings and lectures on the subject of mental illness for the pharmaceutical companies servier and Lundbeck
2017 and 2018 Reading of „Idube“ and „Matti“ at the Mausoleum of Salzgitter Ringelheim, in Local History Museum of Hornburg and at the municipal libraray of Salzgitter Lebenstedt, Germany..
2018 Laudatory speech for Ulla Weigelt / "About The Ocean" (Über das Meer) at Bennos feine Kost, Salzgitter-Bad, Germany
2019 Laudatory speech for Ulla Weigelt / "And it Was Summer" (Und es war Sommer), Stadtbibliothek Salzgitter-Lebenstedt
2019 Reading of "Rosa's World of Stone an Grey" (Die Welt war grau wie Stein) in the context of the Graphic-Weekend of the Braunschweigische Landschaft e.V.
2020 Writing and recording a short story for a podcast on the topics of psychiatry, deportation, freedom and self-determined living for Lundbeck GmbH.
Teaching Activity
since 2012 individual lessons and courses in small groups at the art school Malschule Kalle Becker
since 2015 Lessons especially for children in the field of painting at the Art and Creative School of the municipality of Salzgitter (Kunst- und Kreativschule / KuK)
2018 Course for adults under the title "Designing Your Power Anmial" in cooperation with the Native American shaman Paul Moore. (Therapiezentrum Melanie Weishaupt)
