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Brigitte Kratochwill

Brigitte makes beautiful, minimalist compositions with breath-taking, sweeping strokes across the canvas. She says she often needs many layers in a single image to get to the essence and depth. The end result is a unique take on abstract expression and action painting. Brigitte has been awarded the: PARIS Woman’s Award 2022 (MUSA International’s Woman’s Essence Show); Artist of the year 2020 (World of Art Award – London); WAA Woman's Art Award 2020 (MUSA + UNESCO – Rom); Frida Kahlo Prize 2020 (Mailand 2018 - Artist for the Cultural season); WAA Woman's Art Award 2019 (MUSA - Venedig Biennale); Boticelli Prize 2019, Florence; Velázquez Prize 2019, Barcelona; Artist of the year 2019, Mantua (curated by Francesco Saverio Russo and Salvatore Russo); Michelangelo Prize 2019, Rome; Giotto Prize 2019, Lissabon.

Country
Austria
Discipline
Painting

Available works

All Available Work

"The search for the essence is a central theme in my art. In times of crisis – like over the past two years – I have intensified my striving for the essence in my life and work. For me, life means change, even in enforced lonely hours. My exhibitions last year, when I was finally able to get in touch with people again after various gaps because of the pandemic, inspired me in my further work. With my art I want to touch the viewer on a deep emotional level. I want to be open for new perspectives. I cherish conversations that emerge from this and inspire me."

Brigitte Kratochwill, May 2022

"By applying many layers I achieve the surface structure which I envision. I intentionally overpaint finished parts of the picture to get to the essence. That which is hidden underneath, in a certain way always stays noticeable."

Brigitte Kratochwill

Artist Statement

Concentration - contemplation - metamorphosis

traces of life – tracing a life

In recent years these were the themes of my painting that kept coming back to me.

When I paint I embark on a journey into my subconscious.

I integrate sensory experiences into the painting process.

What emerges is a confrontation with something like a reflection of my soul.

I search for suitable forms,

structures,

colours,

hues/shades and sensitive surfaces.

Much gets rejected, altered. Letting go of cherished aspects in a pictures plays a major role.

These overpaintings allow an intended multilayered quality to evolve, a search for what is essential, a process of reduction, of coming to rest.

I employ my individual capacities to express truthfulness, coherence, visual authenticity.

Brigitte Kratochwill

Born: 1954 in Linz/Donau – Austria

Brigitte lives in Salzburg and Vienna – Austria where she was a teacher for music, art and German in Salzburg. She is a leader of art projects in various institutions and a Member of the artist group, Zülow-Gruppe, Linz, Austria, Landeskulturzentrum Ursulinenhof since 2017. Since 2019, she is a member of the artist group, Sezession Graz, Austria.

Brigitte has exhibited in Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France, Great Britain, Czech Republic, South Africa, China, Finland, Netherlands and Spain and made Video Presentations of her work in the USA, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Awards:

2020
Artist of the Year – WORLD OF ART AWARD | London
Frida Kahlo Award | Milano
Woman's Art Awards | MUSA - UNESCO - Bologna
Artist of the month | ARTFACTORY Graz

2019
Woman's Art Awards | MUSA - Venice Biennale
Botticelli Award | Florence
Velázquez Award | Barcelona
Artist of the year | Mantua (by S. and F. Russo)
Michelangelo Award | Roma
Giotto Award | Lisbon

2018
Audience Award "Il premio borgo"
Galleria La scala d'oro | Roma
Winner of the artconnection 2018, Munster - Germany

Exhibitions

2021
Gallery ARTtime | Udine
Ironware Gallery Kamp Vienna | Vienna (Exhibition with Elfi Baumgartner – Tapestry)
Art Gallery Vienna | Vienna
Europe Art Fair Amsterdam
Gallery of the Zülow Group | Linz
MUSA – We Contemporary Art Show 2021 | Vienna

2020
Art Gallery no. 6 - Zini Town of Art | Guangzhou - China
Gallery Kookos | Helsinki
Affordable Art Fair | London (presented by Frock Gallery)
Art Gallery Vienna | Vienna 
Kapuzinerhof Laufen | Laufen – Germany 
Galleria La scala d'oro | Rome
Great – Initiative | Salzburg 
Gallery Sandbeck | Vienna
KHL - Kunsthaus Laa | Lower Austria

2019
ART Innsbruck (with artroom 21)
Gallery of the Zülow Group | Linz
European Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona | Barcelona Biennale
Royal Arcade Opera Gallery | London
Palazzo Ca' Zenobio | Venice | Venice Biennale
Galleria La scala d'oro | Rome
Art Factory Gallery | Graz
ARTBOX.SCREEN | Zurich
Anime senza voce | Ferrara
Segnalati | Lisbon
gallery m beck | Durbach near Offenburg 
district government | Münster NRW (prize winner exhibition - Long Night of Museums and Galleries)
Festival "Anime senza voce" | Ferrara
Hello Budapest - Austrian contribution to the international exhibition | Budapest
Freiberg Castle | Exhibition of the Secession Graz
Gallery Decole | innsbruck
Art Gallery Vienna | Vienna
Topic Salon | Prague
ARTCONNECTION | Munster North Rhine-Westphalia
ARTBOX.SCREEN | Miami
Official Presentation & Video Exhibition Kiev

2018
ART Innsbruck (with artroom 21)
ART Salzburg (with art trade by Schilgen)
ART FAIR Paris (with artexpertise | Florence)
ART FAIR Cannes (with artexpertise | Florence)
Kunstverein Dahn, Rhineland-Palatinate
Gallery of the Zülow Group | Linz
Gallery Bucher | Weite, Switzerland
ARTE sul lago | Como (with artexpertise | Florence)
gallery m beck | Homburg/Saar
Galleria Spazio Libero 8 | Milan
Gallery Mentano | Florence
Galleria Merlino | Florence
Klebersberg Cultural Center | Budapest (with gallery m beck)
Gallery ARTtime | Udine
ARTBOX.PROJECT | new York
ARTBOX.SCREEN | Zurich
Galleria La scala d'oro | Rome
ARTCONNECTION | Munster North Rhine-Westphalia

2017
Alfred Adler Institute International | Vienna
Art Karlsruhe (with gallery m beck)
Gallery artlet | Salzburg
Gallery of the Zülow Group | Linz
ART MARKET BUDAPEST (with gallery m beck)
Gallery Decole | innsbruck
Gallery ARTtime | Udine
Gallery Church at Tempelhof | Berlin

2016
ART Innsbruck (with gallery Artroom 21)
Gallery artlet | Salzburg
BOS – Berlin Open Studio
gallery m beck | Homburg/Saar
Art.Fair Cologne (with gallery m beck)
Luxembourg Art Week (with galerie m beck)
ART Innsbruck (with galleria immaginaria | Florence)
Luxembourg Art Fair (with gallery m beck)

    "Brigitte Kratochwill puts a person’s innermost emotions, fears and desires, his or her inexpressible sensations – as well as aspects of searching and finding – into her work, which stems partly from personal experience and partly from a sense of documenting or exploring her environment. Concentrating on the essential elements that define us as humans, she gives image and voice to these elements in her pictures and poems. Brigitte Kratochwill shows her expression of these emotions on canvas, paper or another medium and presents them to the viewer for their own reflection."

    Gabriele Baumgartner - art historian, curator and writer.

    INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST:

    What attracted you to art and inspired you to become an artist?

    My whole life has been filled with art. Music, painting, and the German language were suitable means of expression for me. In my pedagogical work (1974 -2013) I wanted to inspire my students to work creatively as well.
    In 1988, I had my first solo exhibition. The exchange with visitors who were viewing my work was inspiring. My most intimate feelings, my subconscious, and my inexpressible thoughts were all on display for everyone to see. Over the years, I’ve learned to get in touch with my audience through the medium of painting.
    The older and more experienced an artist I become, the more the search for the essential comes to the fore of life as well as art.

    Why did you decide to become a painter?

    I enjoy performing music as much as sketching and working from a model. However, it was when painting that I could best develop my own independent voice and style.

    What inspires you?

    Life inspires me: interesting conversations are inspiring; emotions; travel experiences; poems; and philosophical texts; all influence my artistic work.
    Every visit to a museum or gallery inspires me.
    I enjoy working in themes and topics for our future like climate protection, media, and human rights. I see it as a challenge and try to take a stand with my work and encourage others to think.
    However, it is important to always keep an optimistic future perspective, because resignation would prevent a positive development. My works should give courage and strength to enable openness to others and new things.

    What is mysterious or misunderstood about your creative process?

    What I find mysterious is that I work best when I can let go of all worldly things and not force the end result.

    I don't mind misunderstandings, I embrace it. When someone verbalizes a different interpretation of my work, I am pleased. It makes me think. Life is constant change, and the exchange with my fellow human beings makes my life worth living.