Geometry meets gesture: images of change

Her artworks capture the interplay of structure and spontaneity, with transparency and fragmentation at the forefront. Isa Johannsen creates the foundations of her works with numerous overlapping layers of paper, which she then expands with color and line. She does not limit herself to acrylic and oil paints, but also uses chalk, highlighters, and ballpoint pens. Johannsen's color palette, on the other hand, is reduced to light shades of blue, yellow, and pink with occasional bright accents, such as orange. By painting over, gluing, and scratching, she emphasizes the translucency of the layers of paper and focuses on the movement and change of material and structure. Her solo exhibition Come Close now offers the opportunity to delve deep into the world of the processual and fragmentary. The opening reception will take place on November 7 at 6 p.m. in the Kesselhaus of the Ottensen District Archive in Hamburg, followed by the exhibition, which will run until November 14. Admission is free.

Isa Johannsen, who is participating in the Art.Salon artist program, lives and works in Hamburg. Her artistic work is strongly influenced by her background in graphic and communication design. »For me, painting is a freer, more intuitive continuation of my graphic work«, explains the artist. »Geometry provides stability, but for me the appeal lies in what lies in between. In what shines through, in what remains, in what is lost and what emerges anew.« Johannsen was already a guest at the Kesselhaus in 2023 with a solo exhibition.