Mandel Painting

Karin Birkenmeier was trained as a graphic designer. Given this background, her sure-handed and effective use of color, forms and formats cannot surprise us. Her technically skilled and precise paintings fascinate us again and again, and make us recognize her clear and unique style in her elaborate pieces of art instantly. Everything organic and figurative is of interest to Karin, along with pictures rich in symbols and ornaments. This allows her to portray philosophical and universal topics in a poetic and witty way. The backgrounds used by the artist usually are monochrome, colored surfaces. They display the detailed, almost photo-realistic objects in an optimal way. The dynamics of the surfaces and forms can be found in almost all her paintings, leading to a kind of a pop-scientific still life. Metamorphoses, exceeding one’s own limits as in the cycle of paintings entitled „...and you shall grow wings...“, being man and being a female as such or archaic and humorous themes all belong to the frequently used motifs of her paintings. For instance, insects can turn into women, men can become beetles, inconspicuous pebbles or tiny wings of insects can be positioned on a grand stage. Extensive travels to Asia and North Africa must have formed her creations indirectly. Karin’s art could be called graphic-surreal, because graphic expressive power, surreal composition and realistic design are masterfully combined. The artist works as a visionary – she perceives the painting in front of her inner eye and then paints it onto the canvas. This is why her art exhibits few repetitions and each piece of art represents its own world.

Karin’s hallmark are her circular paintings. These paintings’ formal appearance is a circle, but they always differs regarding their theme and coloring.