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Petra Rös-Nickel

Petra Rös-Nickel


Petra Rös-Nickel was born 1963 in Wathlingen near Celle, Germany. After studying fashion design at the professional school for clothing in Bremen, 1980, she changed her field of study to architecture in Eckernförde in 1982. Preferring the creative aspects of the studies to the technical ones, the artist developed the basics of her painting, never denying the roots of applied design and soon ending in a refreshing, distinctive style.

Since Petra Rös-Nickel shapes her painting into compositional subjects, her work can be put into different visual categories such as “patchwork”, “windows” and “oscillating lines”. As much as the groups may differ in their aesthetic expression, the artist‘s distinctive characteristics and methods remain cohesive.

Working in both an additive and reductive process, Rös-Nickel builds and removes layers from the surface of each canvas to present panes of color that appear in both the foreground and background. This manipulation of space through color challenges the viewer’s perception of depth. These scratchings and rubbings lead to various elements of tension, such as “patchwork” or harmonious-contemplative forms, which she calls “windows”. Mostly established on large tables of colors and directed towards one color world, the artist‘s oil paintings develop an energetic impact on the space they‘re displayed in, conveying her joy of life and self-confidence.

All artworks by artist



Working in both an additive and reductive process, Petra Rös-Nickel builds and removes layers from the surface of each canvas to present panes of color that appear in both the foreground and background. This manipulation of space through color challenges the viewer’s perception of depth. Her work can be put into different visual categories such as “patchwork”, “windows” and “oscillating lines.” As much as the groups may differ in their aesthetic expression, the artist‘s distinctive characteristics and methods remain cohesive.

Rös-Nickel was born in 1963 in Wathlingen near Celle, Germany. After studying fashion design at the professional school for clothing in Bremen, in 1980, she changed her field of study to architecture in Eckernförde in 1982. Preferring the creative aspects of her studies to the technical ones, the artist developed the basics of her painting, never denying the roots of applied design and ending in a refreshing, distinctive style.

Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors, and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textures and patterns, referencing popular European textile designs of the fifties and sixties. Rös-Nickel’s work translates the geometric and organic elements of an era that hoisted the flags of modernism and which, due to a trend to return to a rather retro style, has become topical once more. Mostly established on large tables of colors and directed towards one color world, the artist‘s oil paintings develop an energetic impact on the space they‘re displayed in, conveying her joy of life and self-confidence.

Rös-Nickel’s abstract geometric textured artworks have been exhibited and collected worldwide, including in Germany, Belgium, USA, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong. Notable collectors include Chris Rock.
Working in both an additive and reductive process, Petra Rös-Nickel builds and removes layers from the surface of each canvas to present panes of color that appear in both the foreground and background. This manipulation of space through color challenges the viewer’s perception of depth. Her work can be put into different visual categories such as “patchwork”, “windows” and “oscillating lines.” As much as the groups may differ in their aesthetic expression, the artist‘s distinctive characteristics and methods remain cohesive.

Rös-Nickel was born in 1963 in Wathlingen near Celle, Germany. After studying fashion design at the professional school for clothing in Bremen, in 1980, she changed her field of study to architecture in Eckernförde in 1982. Preferring the creative aspects of her studies to the technical ones, the artist developed the basics of her painting, never denying the roots of applied design and ending in a refreshing, distinctive style.

Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors, and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textures and patterns, referencing popular European textile designs of the fifties and sixties. Rös-Nickel’s work translates the geometric and organic elements of an era that hoisted the flags of modernism and which, due to a trend to return to a rather retro style, has become topical once more. Mostly established on large tables of colors and directed towards one color world, the artist‘s oil paintings develop an energetic impact on the space they‘re displayed in, conveying her joy of life and self-confidence.

Rös-Nickel’s abstract geometric textured artworks have been exhibited and collected worldwide, including in Germany, Belgium, USA, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong. Notable collectors include Chris Rock.

EXHIBITIONS

2023-24  Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, US

2022    Affordable Art Fair Brussels, Belgium

            Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, US

            Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, Sweden

            Paper Position Berlin, Germany

            Art on Water, Hamburg, Germany

            Art Karlsruhe, Germany

            Position Berlin Art Fair, Berlin, Germany

2021    Love Always Wins, Atlanta, US

            Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, US

            Art on Water, Hamburg, Germany

2020    Art Innsbruck Internationale Kunstmesse, Austria

            Art Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, US

            Position Berlin Art Fair, Germany

            Lille Art Fair, France

2019    Art Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, US

Affordable Art Fair, Brüssel, Belgium

Art up Lille, Lille, France

Affordable Art Fair, Hamburg, Germany

ARTe Wiesbaden, Germany

Affordable Art Fair Battersea, UK

Discovery Art Fair, Frankfurt, Germany

First Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2018    Luxemburg Art Fair

Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt, Germany

Affordable Art Fair Hamburg, Germany

Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam, Netherlands

Affordable Art Fair London, UK

Antwerp Art Fair Groningen, Netherlands

Art Cannes Groningen

Affordable Art Fair New York, US

Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong

Art Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, US

2017    Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, US

AAF New York, US

Forest Gallery, West Sussex, UK

2016    Art Hamptons, NY, US

Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, US

AAF Hong Kong

Affordable Art Fair New York, US

Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, Switzerland

Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, US

2015    Affordable Art Fair Singapore

Love Art Fair Toronto, Canada

            Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, US

            Affordable Art Fair New York, NY, US

            Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Palm Springs, US

            LA Art Show, Los Angeles, US

2014    Red Dot Art Fair Miami, US

            Art Toronto | Fine Art Fair, Canada

            Houston Fine Art Fair, US

            Artspace Warehouse Los Angeles, US

            Ostsee Galerie Timmendorfer Strand, Germany

            Affordable Art Fair Brussels, Belgium

            Kunstwarenhaus Zurich, Switzerland

2013    Affordable Art Fair Amsterdam, Netherlands

            Art&Galerie Minden, Germany

2012    Affordable Art Fair Hamburg, Germany

            Wiener Internationale Kunstmesse, Vienna, Austria

2011    Galerie Jaeschke, Braunschweig, Germany

            Ostsee-Galerie Timmendorfer Strand, Germany

            e-on | Avacon, Lueneburg, Germany

2007    Galerie Nottbohm, Goettingen, Germany

2005    Galerie Jaeschke, Braunschweig, Germany

2003    PoGa Galerie, Hamburg, Germany

2002    Bond-Galerie 3, Schloss Rantzau, Barmstedt, German


TV & FILM

American Gigolo, Showtime

American Housewife, Season 5

LA’s Finest, Fox