He studied in Hamburg under Sigmar Polke until 1981. In the 1980s, Oehlen began incorporating abstract and figurative elements, partly as a reaction to popular Neo-Expressionist aesthetic. The collision of abstraction and figuration is still an important element in Oehlen’s oeuvre but, for over a decade now, Oehlen has been working on computer generated images. His practice therefore often combines the use of brushes, fingers and collage with technology.