Mara Ruehl

The German artist Mara Ruehl, born in 1963 in Fürth, Bavaria, has been working as a freelance artist since 2000. After her training and work experience as a graphic designer DTP she studied painting at the Instituto Universitario National del Arte in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1995-1999.

Thematic implementations

Mara Ruehl's work focuses primarily on abstract themes. Her current series of works by CHROMAMORPHIEN and PLASTOMORPHIEN focuses on change as a topic. In her paintings - or chromium amorphies - this is created by the optical illusion of pulsating and flowing color surfaces. In their reliefs - or plastomorphies - plastic structures produce this effect through the change of location of the observer.

Contemporary development

By using colors and plastic elements to suggest and create light and shade, Mara Ruehl seems to oscillate the colors in her works and move the forms. Her soulful works play with stylistic devices of Concrete Constructivist art, but are freed from their rules. Mara Ruehl achieves these results by priming her canvas up to 20 times, wet-sanding individual layers, layering layers of paint and thin glazes (up to 120 layers). She also creates her sculptural forms by hand (up to 10,000 per artwork).

International exhibitions

Even before her studies, Mara Ruehl exhibited her works of art in private and public institutions. Her works have been shown several times in Germany, in the Kunstmuseum Schwabach, in the Hermitage Palace or in the Kulturzentrum München. Her work has also been exhibited internationally in Tokyo in the Toshima Ward Office Building or in Buenos Aires in the Galería de Arte Ruth Benzacar.