karin lambrecht

As part of the so-called Geração 80, Karin Lambrecht (b. 1957, Porto Alegre, Brazil) engaged with gestural abstraction, working within the expanded field of painting and sculpture. Early on in her career, Lambrecht began to question the idea of a canvas and how to paint it—she subsequently decided to eliminate the chassis, sow up the fabric, and use charred patches. Lambrecht’s works often refer to Arte Povera and Joseph Beuys, drawing from their formal concern for the relationship between art and life, including natural life, cultural life, and consciousness.

From the 1990s onwards, the artist began to include organic materials in her paintings, such as charcoal, rainwater, earth and animal blood, which also determined a chromatic lexicon. In addition to these organic materials, her work frequently features crosses, references to the body, handwritten or stamped enigmatic words, amongst other recurring motifs, encouraging a sense of affinity, or rapport,  between the viewer and the work.

Karin Lambrecht lives and works in Broadstairs, UK. Recent solo shows include: Seasons of the Soul, at Nara Roesler (2022), in São Paulo, Brazil; Karin Lambrecht – Entre nós uma passagem, at Instituto Tomie Ohtake (ITO) (2018), in São Paulo, Brazil; Karin Lambrecht – Assim assim, at Oi Futuro (2017), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nem eu, nem tu: Nós, at Espaço Cultural Santander (2017), in Porto Alegre, Brazil; Pintura e desenho, at Instituto Ling (2015), in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She featured in the 18^th, 19^th, and 25^th editions of the Bienal de São Paulo (1985, 1987, and 2002) and in the 5^th Bienal do Mercosul (2005), all in Brazil. Recent group exhibitions include: Acervo em transformação: Doações recentes, at Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) (2021), in São Paulo, Brazil; Alegria – A natureza-morta nas coleções MAM Rio, at Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio) (2019), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Tempos sensíveis – Acervo MAC/PR, at Museu Oscar Niemeyer (MON) (2018), in Curitiba, Brazil; Clube da gravura: 30 anos, at Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo (MAM-SP) (2016), in São Paulo, Brazil; O espírito de cada época, at Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz (IFF) (2015), in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Hers works are part of important collections, including: Fundação Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, New York, USA; Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany; Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), São Paulo, Brazil.