Petra Thölken

My artistic journey has been a continuous evolution. An important milestone was my exhibition in New York City, which marked an intense creative turning point. This was followed by years of technical refinement, during which I explored pigments, color mixtures, and the complex layering of oil paint. Out of this work emerged my figurative-abstract automobile series—precise, powerful, and technically sophisticated. These works found collectors internationally and are now held in private collections.

Despite this success, I increasingly felt that something essential was missing. Complete control over the image left little room for surprise, vitality, and genuine inner expression.

This transformation led me to my true artistic language: free and intuitive abstraction. Today, I use my knowledge of pigments, earths, textures, and layers not to force a result, but to enter into a deeper dialogue with myself. Through painting, a space emerges where thoughts, emotions, and inner images can surface—things that are often difficult to express in words.

I build surfaces, open them again, scratch into them, dissolve passages, and reassemble them. My works carry visible traces, fractures, and layers of transformation. They speak of change and ...

Self-taught visual artist, bestselling author, and founder of Künstlerstreich, an international art platform dedicated to intuitive abstraction, artistic process, and creative freedom.

Exhibition in New York City and Germany