Charline von Heyl

Born 1960 in Mainz, Germany

Lives and works in New York and Marfa

Charline von Heyl’s abstract paintings, drawings and collages are endlessly layered, enigmatic visual experiences filled with surprising juxtapositions and interactions. Her work resolutely strives against maintaining a cohesive narrative or signature style, but instead is fearless in its formal diversity. It requires active perception and participation to take in her bold lines and gestures, and abstract shapes and patterns. Her configurations possess a unique dynamism and energy, imbued with flashes of humour but simultaneously unafraid of poetic depth and pathos.

Embodied in von Heyl’s work are series of experiences and emotions, often opposing to create an intriguing sense of contradiction and tension. They impart to the viewer an unpredictable chain of associations and subtle references. Her canvases are as thoughtful and cerebral as they are aesthetically balanced, with their bold but harmonious colour palettes and their almost printed, two-dimensional quality.

Von Heyl is a highly regarded figure in contemporary painting and abstract expressionism, and her work has been shown extensively internationally. Her work was part of the current 59th Biennale di Venezia. She has had solo shows at Hirschorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington; Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurl; Deichtorhallen, Hamburg; Tate Liverpool; Kunsthalle Nurnberg; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; Le Consortium, Dijon; Dallas Museum of Art; Vienna Secession and many more. Her work has also been included in many group shows, such as at Museum Brandhorst, Munich; PARKETT Space, Zurich; Institute of Contemporary Art Chicago; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami; Museum Fridericianum, Kassel, among others. Her work can be found in the public collections of Tate, London, Dallas Art Museum, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Museum of Modern Art, New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and others.