Petra Nijman

Petra Nijman (working under the artist name Peniart) is a German visual artist born in Essen in 1965. She currently lives and works in Legden-Asbeck in the Münsterland region. Her artistic journey began in the 1980s with a professional apprenticeship as a photo laboratory technician in a creative lab, followed by decades of dedicated work in photography. In 2006, she shifted her focus toward painting, expanding her expertise through workshops with renowned international artists, including Gerhard Hendricks. She solidified her academic foundation at the IBKK Bochum, graduating in 2020 with a diploma in Painting and Graphic Arts, focusing on the theme of "Masks in Painting".Nijman’s style is defined by experimental freedom. She masterfully combines various techniques to create dynamic, expressive, Pop Art-inspired figures informed by fantasy worlds. Moving beyond the canvas, she extends her creativity into three-dimensional space, crafting striking sculptures from plaster, papier-mâché, and clay. Her deep belief in the unifying power of art is reflected in her extensive background as an educator: she has led numerous inclusive art projects and workshops, teaching creative techniques to elementary school children, people with disabili...

2013–2020: Diploma in Painting and Graphic Arts, IBKK Bochum, Germany

Selected Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Neue Bilder, Galerie Brücke, Germany
2017 Mohn im Licht, GermanyGroup Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions
2026 Artsurprise Art Initiative, Germany & Spain
2018 International ArtCampNet Project, Galerie Davici, Marigona, Kosovo
2016 Museum of Contemporary Art, Naples, Italy
2016 Sandos Art Center, South Korea
2016 Gemeinsam Miteinander, Haus Hall / Magdalena, Bocholt, Germany
2014 Kulturbunker Cologne, Cologne, Germany