Biography & CV
I was born in Germany in 1952, where I grew up and received my education. My family faced the challenges of postwar conditions and my mother's ongoing illness after my birth. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I took on most household responsibilities, essentially stepping into my mother's role, as well as caring for her. At the age of nine, I announced to my parents that I wanted to be an artist, a decision that horrified my father, who never supported my ambition.
After graduating from school at 18, and qualified for any course of study, I applied to Staedelschule, the Academy of Fine Arts in Frankfurt. Entering art college in 1971, in the wake of the student uprisings of the late 1960s, meant that all classes had been abandoned. I was assigned to Professor Johannes Schreiter, given a studio space and told to start working on whatever - there was no tuition. This marked the beginning of my life as a painter.
Being left to my own devices suited me naturally, I have been a reclusive painter ever since. Despite fellow students denouncing painting and the dominance of conceptual and performance art, I was fully committed to painting from the outset.
In 1973, I was awarded the elite scholarship of the German National Academic Foundation. This provided me with savings for later as I was still living at home, continuing my commitments to my family. The scholarship also funded a year of studies abroad which brought me to London in 1976. My mother sadly passed in 1978, subsequently I never felt inclined to move back to Germany. I have lived and worked in London ever since.
In 1977 I received a further DAAD scholarship (German Academic Exchange Service) funding a second year of studies in London, Initially, I had enrolled at Camberwell School of Art & Crafts to study paper conservation. The intention was to provide me with an income whilst painting. Within a month of starting the course I couldn't bear not painting anymore, I hated the course and left after six weeks. It was impossible to change to a postgraduate college at this stage but I was permitted to move to the BA painting department instead where I joined David Hepher's class who shortly after allowed me to work from my bedsit - unofficially - returning to my usual reclusive practice.
Over the next decade, my work began to gain recognition, I had gallery representation in London and New York and was exhibited internationally, in the US, and throughout Europe. Some of the highlights were my solo exhibition at Art Basel in 1986 and several institutional exhibitions, notably my retrospective at the Museum & Art Gallery Newport which was so well received that it was subsequently toured to Cardiff and Durham.
My latest institutional exhibition at Turnpike Gallery in Leigh in 1996 was the most important exhibition to me personally. It was a survey of work that I had produced since around 1990, when a significant change had taken place in my practice. This exhibition represented a leap forward in my work, and seeing it displayed confirmed my decisions.
After the economic recession of the early 1990s, and the closure of many galleries, I experienced a general shift away from painting. Having been obsessive about painting at all times, ignoring popular trends, I continued to concentrate on following my personal vision, gradually moving on from one painting to the next.
Over the decades, a distinct slowness has characterised all of my work, which I consider significant: each piece, after weeks or months of creation, feels like a chapter in my life upon completion
CURRICULUM VITAE
Born 1952 in Recklinghausen, Germany.
Educated in Germany, - living and working in London since 1976
1971-76
Diploma course at Staedelschule, Academy of Fine Art, Frankfurt am Main
1976-78
Post. Grad. Camberwell College, London
Awards
2025
Jackson’s Art Prize - Judges Choice Award (Joshua Donkor)
2021
Repaint History Bursary
1996
National Portrait Gallery Commission: Dame Anita Roddick
1990
BP-Award, National Portrait Gallery - Commendation
1989
John Moores Liverpool 16, Prize winner
1978
Crown Award - Winner
1977-78
DAAD - scholarship (German Academic Exchange Service)
1973-77
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation)
Solo Exhibitions
2015
Galerie Lattemann - Four Solo Shows, Darmstadt-Muehltal, Germany
2007
Albemarle Gallery, London
2004
The Women’s Art Collection, New Hall College, Cambridge (now Murray Edwards College)
2002
Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris
1997
Julian Hartnoll Gallery, London
1996
Turnpike Gallery, Leigh
1993
Stiebel Modern, New York
1992
Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, Warrington
Stiebel Modern, New York
1991
Jill George Gallery, London
1990
Louis Newman Gallery, LA
1990
Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York
1989
Retrospective touring show ‘Don’t I Know You?’: Museum & Art Gallery Newport,
Oriel Gallery, Cardiff, D.L.I. Museum & Art Gallery Durham
1988
Thumb Gallery, London
1987
Denne Hill, Treadwell Gallery: 14 One-man-shows
Kunstkeller, Bern, Switzerland
1986
International Art Fair, Basle
1973
Staedel Academy of Fine Art, Frankfurt am Main
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025
Jackson’s Art Prize - Finalists Exhibition, Bankside Gallery, London
2024
ADVANCED CONTEMPORARIES, Somers Gallery London, curated by Paul Carey-Kent with Emma Cousin, Theo Ellison
2023
Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize shortlist, London, Bournemouth Plymouth, Turnpike Gallery, Leigh
2021
”Figurative Art Now”, Federation of British Artists, online
2020
VR Manchester 2020, Online Exhibition
2016
Columbia Threadneedle Prize exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2015
Zeichnungen - 4 artists, Galerie Lattemann, Darmstadt
2014
WOW! - Tabakfabrik LInz. Austria
2010-11
“Face Value” , Newport Museum & Art Gallery
2009
Threadneedle Prize Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2008
ING ‘Discerning Eye Exhibition’, Mall Galleries, London
2005
“What is Realism?” Albemarle Gallery, London, curated by Edward Lucie-Smith
Art Fair Paris, (Galerie Vieille du Temple)
“8 Artistes” Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris
2004
“George Sand - Interpretations 2004”, Musee de Chateauroux, France
2003
“Morceaux Choisis” Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris
Art Paris, (Galerie Vieille du Temple)
2002
“Artists of the Ideal” Museum of Modern Art, Verona, Italy, curated by Edward Lucie-Smith
2001
Art Fair, Paris (Galerie Vieille du Temple)
2000
“Heads and Figure”, Air Gallery , London (James Huntington Whiteley)
“English Artists”, Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris
1999
“Art’99” , London/Islington (Eric Franck)
1998
“Art ‘98” , London/Islington (Julian Hartnoll)
1997
Fine Art Fair, Olympia, London (Julian Hartnoll)
1996
Islington Art Fair, London (Beaux Arts London)
“Men”, Julian Hartnoll Gallery, London
Winter Collection”, 29 Cork Street, London (James Huntington Whiteley)
1995
Drawing - Show, Jill George Gallery, London
Singer & Friedlander / Sunday Times Watercolour Touring Show: London,
Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol
Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris
1993-4
“Portrait Now” National Portrait Gallery, London
1993
“BP-Awards Exhibition”, National Portrait Gallery, London
1992
International Art Fair, New York, (Stiebel Modern)
“Works on Paper”, Bruton Street Gallery, London
1991
“In Human Terms” Stiebel Modern, New York
International Art Fair London
“Discerning Eye”, London, Birkenhead
1990
“BP-Awards Exhibition” , National Portrait Gallery
“European Artists - Works on Paper” Kunstkeller Bern, Switzerland
International Art Fairs: London, Los Angeles, Bath
Thumb Gallery Drawing Show
“Thumb Gallery in Atlanta”
1989
John Moores 16, Liverpool
International Art Fair London
“John Players Award” National Portrait Gallery, London
1988
International Art Fair Basle (Kunstkeller Bern), Los Angeles, York, Bath (Thumb)
Thumb Gallery Drawing Show
Wolverhampton Art Gallery, (Lighthouse Media Centre): ‘Art by Women’
1987
“Self-Portrait - A Modern View”, touring show
International Art Fair Los Angeles (Thumb Gallery), Bath Art Fair
Thumb Gallery, London, Inaugural exhibition Lexington Street
1986
International Art Fairs: London, Basle, Paris
1984
International Art Fairs: Basle, London, Madrid
1983
International Art Fairs: Basle, Paris, Cologne, Bath
1982
International Art Fairs: Basle, Paris, Duesseldorf, Bath
“La Group Show”, 6 women artists at Treadwell Gallery, London
1978-82
Ash Barn Gallery, Petersfield (regular shows)
Chelsea Art Society,
R.O.I. exhibition Mall Galleries, London
1978
Royal Academy Summer Show
Crown Award Show, London
1975
Kunsthalle Darmstadt,
Museum Wiesbaden
“Forum Junger Kunst”: touring museums in Baden Baden, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Recklinghausen
Darmstadt Secession Exhibition, Kunsthalle Darmstadt
1973-74
Numerous group shows around Frankfurt am Main