Raymond Stuwe

Raymond Stuwe was born in 1964 in Wald, Zurich, Switzerland, and has lived in various places including North Rhine Westphalia, Germany, Bangkok, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. At age 32, driven by his love of poker, he moved to Las Vegas. He initially worked as a marketing professional behind the poker scene before becoming a poker professional himself. Over the years, he has entered prestigious tournaments such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), Asian Poker Tour (APT), ECPoker Tour, and the Irish Poker Open.

Stuwe's most documented live cash came at the 2010 WSOP Event #54: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em with 3,844 entrants. He finished in 13th place, earning $27,365. He was eliminated by Matthew Lupton after moving all-in from the hijack with an unspecified hand. Stuwe has also participated in other major events, though detailed results beyond this are not publicly available.

In 2016, after experiencing burnout, Stuwe had a sudden urge to paint. He bought his first acrylic paint set on October 8, 2016, and has painted daily ever since. Inspired by David Bowie, who had just passed away that year, Stuwe launched 'StuRayArt,' creating bright, eye-catching works using techniques like paint, pen, 24k gold, metal flakes, epoxy resins, and silkscreen. He describes his process as completely intuitive: "I just start playing and let the piece organically grow until it touches my heart."

As a self-taught outsider artist, Stuwe's work features rock legends such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as original abstract pieces. His paintings are sold through galleries and personal websites, with prices ranging from €500 to €24,000. He currently lives in La Gomera, Canary Islands. Stuwe's story is unique in the poker world, showing how a professional player can reinvent himself as a visionary artist. He continues to maintain online presences for both poker and art.