Martina Klein

Renowned for her large-scale monochrome canvases, Martina Klein challenges traditional display conventions by often positioning her works freestanding in a space, rather than hanging them on walls. This unconventional approach transforms her paintings into sculptural objects that interact with their environment. Klein emphasizes that the composition of her work is not confined to the canvas itself, but rather emerges from the relationships between her pieces within a specific exhibition space.

Biography of Martina Klein

Martina Klein was born in 1962 in Trier, Germany. She began her academic journey at the University of Trier, where she pursued studies in art history and philosophy for a year. In 1983, she continued her education at the University of Fine Arts in Kassel.

Since 1989, Klein has made Düsseldorf her home and studio base. During her career as an artist, she has received several stipends and awards, including:

• Förderpreisträgerin der Bildenden Kunst des Landes NRW, Germany (1998);
• Stipendium der Stadt Bremerhaven, Germany (2000);
• Kunstpreis Robert-Schumann, Stadtmuseum Simeonstift Trier, Trier, Germany (2007).

Her recent solo exhibitions include "Martina Klein" at Stichting IK in Middleburg (2024), "Permanet Changes" at Slewe Gallery in Amsterdam (2022), "Parallel Connected" at Galerie Tschudi in Zuoz (2022), "gelb" at Galerie Tschudi in Zuoz (2020), and many more.

Additionally, Klein's works have been featured in numerous group shows held at various galleries and museums worldwide, including A Arte Invernizzi in Milan, Museum Vasarely in Budapest, Galerie Karsten Weigmann + Partner in Düsseldorf, Parra & Romero in Madrid, Galerie Anke Schmidt in Cologne, among others.

Currently, the artist lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. 

Martina Klein's Art Style

Martina Klein employs a unique artistic process, constructing her paintings through multiple layers of self-developed paint formulas. By incorporating additional pigments into the oil base, she achieves a luminous effect. Klein's distinctive color palette and application techniques lend her work a singular quality.

She delves into the fundamental nature of painting through her monochrome works. Her artistic exploration is rooted in the interplay of color, materials, and viewer perception within space. While her approach aligns with the principles of "analytical" conceptual painting, Klein develops a unique and personal formal language. Her rigorously monochrome surfaces extend beyond the canvas through unconventional installation methods. Other works, supported by L-shaped structures, can be wall-mounted or freely positioned, transforming them into spatial elements that interact and influence the surrounding environment.

Martina Klein has no intention of transcending the medium of painting but instead seeks to explore its potential comprehensively. Her starting point is paint itself, considering not only its visual qualities but also its physical properties and sensory aspects.