Anselm Kiefer, one of the most prominent German painters of Neo Expressionism, is acclaimed as "The Poet Under the Desolation and Rubble". Kiefer was born in Donaueschingen in then - West Germany in 1945 - a year otherwise known as "German Zero Hour." The term refers to the rebirth of Germany after their defeat in the war, when all things of the past no longer existed and the future was yet unknown - when all had to start from zero. After the Second World War, the entire German nation had to shoulder an unbearable burden. The new generation born after 1945, in particular, did not know how to bear responsibility for the remnants of something they did not cause but that they knew would haunt them nonetheless. Kiefer is a member of this generation. Having grown up in the ruins and shadows of the Third Reich, there is always a touch of sadness to his works, a sense of the somber German tones.

Influenced by the great German art master Joseph Beuys, Kiefer chose to paint about German history, culture and mythologies, and the terror of Nazi Germany. Indeed, he addresses the past with courage and a clear attitude, quite unlike other artists of the same period who avoided painting about the war, treating it as taboo. Later on, expanding beyond the German themes, Kiefer started to paint about fate and culture in general. Not only were his works a collection of nationalist symbols and memories, they also held mysterious meanings from symbolism, theology, and mysticism.

Kiefer once made the now frequently quoted statement, My biography is Germany's biography. His works are literary, like epic poems. Standing in front of his paintings, one cannot help but to be impressed by the poetry in them - a deep and heavy touch of history penetrates into and resonates in each viewer's heart. He often applies a wide range of materials, such as oil paint, steel, lead, dusts, photosensitive coatings, stones, leaves, photographs, woodcuts, wheat, and petroleum. The large scale of the composition and its mix of materials make his paintings visually impressive. Pieces that represent the ruined, the unconfined, and the fragmented organize themselves into a peaceful, poetic, and magnificent scroll. Although Kiefer produced these works in an unusual time and place, they nonetheless point out common problems. For example, they show that most of us lack something deep down in our spirits; perhaps it is a unique attitude for life, persistence and endurance, the courage to face the world wholeheartedly, or everlasting love. And at the same time, they also lead the viewers to think about heaven and how it may give us hope, console our hearts, and fulfill whatever we are lacking.

The artwork "Ave Maria, Mater Castissima" by Anselm Kiefer is a large-scale piece within his series of paintings depicting the Maria. It extends to a height of over two meters and is adorned with roses, evoking associations with the Catholic devotion to Maria through the "Rosary," a set of prayers dedicated to her. The term "Rosary" originates from the Latin word "Rosarium," meaning "rose wreath" or "a bouquet of roses." In the center of the artwork, there is a metal circular frame resembling the crown of thorns worn by Jesus.

The thorn-bearing roses and dried blocks of pigment below evoke the burning bush from the biblical book of Exodus, where Moses encounters the presence of God through a bush that burns but is not consumed. This imagery signifies God's presence alongside Moses in the wilderness. Similarly, just as the thorn-bearing bush remains unconsumed by the flames, Maria conceives Christ while maintaining her virginity.

"Ave Maria, Mater Castissima" is also a metaphor for Kiefer's own artistic journey. His art endeavors to extract metaphysical miracles from raw elemental materials, composing a powerful hymn full of creativity and generative power.