Christa Näher

Roaming Through The Dark

Die große Meisterin der fabelhaften Bildschöpfungen und menschlichen Gefühlsregungen

Contemplating the paintings of Christa Näher (b. Lindau, 1947; lives and works in Wolfegg, Baden-Württemberg), the beholder senses her admiration for the great artists of the Baroque, the paintings of the Dutch and Spanish masters. Legendary landscapes, outlandish hybrid creatures, centaurs, danses macabres, lords in their castles and stable boys: these are the subjects of her sprawling paintings and small-format drawings. There is an otherworldly air to Näher’s oeuvre; her deeply moving works confront us with who we really are. Soaring flights of fancy, the artist’s multifaceted, delicate, and enigmatic compositions also plumb the collective consciousness of our time.

Näher’s oeuvre has now earned her the 2019 Hans-Thoma-Prize, awarded by the State of Baden-Württemberg in recognition of the lifetime achievements of a visual artist who predominantly lives and works in Baden-Württemberg. To celebrate the honor, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden is organizing a presentation of her works that will be on view at the Hans-Thoma-Kunstmuseum in the Black Forest town of Bernau im Schwarzwald. The accompanying monograph probes the complexities of Näher’s oeuvre and features works from the past four decades as well as personal notes, documents, and photographs. With essays by Johannes Honeck, Egbert Hörmann, and Petra Olschowski.