Sophie von Hellermann

Born in 1975 in Munich, Germany, Sophie von Hellermann lives and works in London. Primarily using painting, von Hellermann creates works from memory rather than photographs. Her signature technique involves applying washes of diluted acrylic paint to often large-scale unprimed canvases in wide brush-strokes. Her subject matter ranges from Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” to Einstein’s revolutionary physics, to the life of Nico from The Velvet Underground. She equally portrays these subjects with the same token lightness, blurring public fable with romantic vision. In von Hellermann’s works, personal narratives and fantasies are the product of desire and partial perceptions, bleeding into one another within her diaphanous figuration characterized by ambiguous moments and abstract spaces.

Sophie von Hellermann has recently presented solo exhibitions at Le Consortium, Dijon (with Josh Smith) (2009), Marc Foxx, Los Angeles (2009), Vilma Gold, London (2008), Greene Naftali, New York (2007), the Chisenhale Gallery, London (2006), Neuer Aachen Kunstverein, Aachen (2006) and Patrick De Brock Gallery, Knokke, Belgium (2006). Her work has also been shown as part of “Library of Babel / In and Out of Place” at 176 / Zabludowicz Collection, London (2010), “Painting Now and Forever Part II” at Greene Naftali and Matthew Marks Gallery, New York (2008), “Der Ficker”, Fortescue Avenue/Jonathan Viner, London (2007), “Clarke & McDevitt Present” at Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin (2005), “Mystica, hobbypopMUSEUM” at Deitch Projects, New York (2005) and “Cher Peintre” at Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (2002).

Sophie von Hellermann is represented by Vilma Gold, London, Galerie Hussenot, Paris, Greene Naftali, New York, Marc Foxx and Los Angeles.

For additional information about this artist, visit Mutual Art