The Formative Years in Leipzig Born in Leipzig, Akram Mutlak’s relationship with the canvas began through the influence of a grandfather who was a painter himself. This early introduction to the medium in the seventies provided a foundation that would eventually lead to formal training. Before finding a permanent place in the studio, Mutlak spent time as a decorator and decoration builder at the Städt. Theatres Leipzig, an apprenticeship that likely informed a deep understanding of space and stagecraft. This practical background in the theatrical world would later manifest in a recurring inte…