Sophie von Hellermann
Sophie von Hellermann (*1975) lives and works in London, Margate (UK), and Karlsruhe. She studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1993 until 1998, where she was a master student under Dieter Krieg. She also attended the Royal College of Art in London and is a co-founder of hobbypopMUSEUM.
Sophie von Hellermann’s paintings evoke fables, legends, and traditional stories that are imbued with her subconscious rather than existing forms of representation. Her romantic, pastel-washed canvases are often installed to suggest complex narrative threads. Sophie von Hellermann applies pure color pigments directly to the unprimed canvas. The use of broad brushstrokes gives her paintings a sense of weightlessness. Her works sometimes draw upon current affairs, just as often as they incorporate the imagery of classical mythology and literature. This creates expansive imaginary places. In subject matter and style, von Hellermann contrasts fantasy with reality.
Her works have been presented internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Since 2022, Sophie von Hellermann has been Professor of Painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe.
www.kunstakademie-karlsruhe.de