Stefan à Wengen, born in Basel in 1964 and now living in Düsseldorf, has found in ideas of the "alien" or "alienating" a starting point for his pictorial ideas. Both the medium of film and reportage photography offer him formal starting points and influence his atmospherically charged paintings. In addition, the venerable portrait genre, albeit always full of confusing factors, plays an important role. Stefan à Wengen, inspired by the Western iconic tradition and reference to other cultures creates highly symbolic painting of a new, individual reality. * * Stefan à Wengen's works can be found in public collections such as the Kunstmuseum Basel, as well as in major private collections in Germany, Spain, the USA, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The "Ghost Portraits," "The Mission" series, and his most recently created works form the nucleus of this monograph. * * Published with the Kunstmuseum Luzern, Lucerne. *