Heidrun Rathgeb
Heidrun Rathgeb’s practice celebrates - in her words - ‘moments that feel like daily epiphanies’. Whether drawing from the dramatic landscape surrounding her home or capturing intimate moments within domesticity, Heidrun’s small-scale paintings and limited edition prints explore ‘states of being’ within today’s often frenetic world.
Heidrun works using a range of traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques including woodcut, etching and monoprint. Hand-printed outside the confines of a commercial studio, each individual print is characterised by unique variations inherent in the fluidity of the printing process. Her painting and printmaking practices are closely linked. In Heidrun’s words: ‘With some of my paintings I think – I have to go further, I have to turn them into something else again, and that would be the starting point for a woodcut. I see it as a process…from a drawing, to a painting to a print. I make a woodcut when I feel the need for deep concentration in working…it’s almost a zen-like type of concentration – that’s what reduction woodcut demands’.
Heidrun was born in Germany but moved to London in 1993 to study at the Byam Shaw School of Art followed by the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Her work has been exhibited in regular solo and group exhibitions in the UK and internationally. Travel is key within her practice; she has undertaken artistic residencies in Norway, Denmark, France, Scotland, Spain, Italy and India. Oliver Projects exhibited Heidrun’s prints at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair every year since 2021. John Martin Gallery, London, presented the first solo exhibition of her paintings in the UK. A solo exhibition of Heidrun’s work was presented by 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel in New York, USA (March 2023); a solo exhibition of paintings followed in Sydney, Australia, at Day 01 Gallery (August 2024). Most recently, her work was on show at Paul Smith’s flagship store in London as part of a group exhibition, and in Bruton, at a joint exhibition presented by Bo Lee and Workman (May 2025).
Heidrun currently lives and works in rural south Germany, with views from her home of Lake Constance and the Alps.
Shop works by Heidrun Rathgeb
Lithograph with monoprint and hand-colouring, 48 × 36cm
Heidrun Rathgeb’s practice celebrates - in her words - ‘moments that feel like daily epiphanies’. Whether drawing from the dramatic landscape surrounding her home or capturing intimate moments within domesticity, Heidrun’s small-scale unique and limited edition prints explore ‘states of being’ within today’s often frenetic world.
Heidrun works using a range of traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques including woodcut, etching and monoprint. She often draws figures from life, whether at home or in nature, using family members captured in quiet domestic moments as her subjects.
Travel and hiking in the landscape are intrinstic to Heidrun’s artistic practice. The drawing for this unique print was made during a trip to Italy. In the artist’s words; ‘We were staying in a hostel in Monzuno, all in a big room after hiking all day. The blanket is typically Italian; oranges all over’. This work is framed behind anti-reflective, 70% UV resistant glass. Combining lithography and monoprinting techniques, it is hand-coloured, so completely unique.
Heidrun was born in Germany but moved to London in 1993 to study at the Byam Shaw School of Art followed by the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Her work has been exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions internationally. Recently, solo exhibitions of her paintings have been presented by John Martin Gallery in London (2022 and 2023), 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel in New York (2023), Day 01 Gallery in Sydney (2024) and Gallery Sofie van de Velde, Antwerp (2024). Oliver Projects has been proud to exhibit Heidrun’s prints at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair as well as in regular group shows. Heidrun has undertaken artistic residencies in Norway, Denmark, France, Scotland, Spain, Italy and India.
Heidrun currently lives and works in rural South Germany, with views from her home of Lake Constance and the Alps.
Mezzotint, 19.5 × 22cm, edition 3/10
Heidrun Rathgeb’s practice celebrates - in her words - ‘moments that feel like daily epiphanies’. Whether drawing from the dramatic landscape surrounding her home or capturing intimate moments within domesticity, Heidrun’s small-scale unique and limited edition prints explore ‘states of being’ within today’s often frenetic world.
This mezzotint is number 3 from a limited edition of 10. As is characteristic of the mezzotint technique, the surface has a velvety quality with deep contrast between lights and darks. This contrast heightens the cabin’s illuminated windows, and the moonshine overhead, with other more subtle details emerging from the composition. The starting point for this work was a drawing made by the artist in Kvamskogen, a mountainous area of Norway. It is titled on the reverse.
Heidrun was born in Germany but moved to London in 1993 to study at the Byam Shaw School of Art followed by the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Her work has been exhibited in regular solo and group exhibitions in the UK and internationally. She has undertaken artistic residencies in Norway, Denmark, France, Scotland, Spain, Italy and India. Oliver Projects exhibited Heidrun’s prints at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair every year since 2021. John Martin Gallery, London, presented the first solo exhibition of her paintings in the UK. A solo exhibition of Heidrun’s work was presented by 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel in New York, USA (March 2023); a solo exhibition of paintings followed in Sydney, Australia, at Day 01 Gallery (August 2024). Most recently, her work was on show at Paul Smith’s flagship store in London as part of a group exhibition.
Heidrun currently lives and works in rural South Germany, with views from her home of Lake Constance and the Alps.
Monotype, 28.5 × 21cm
Heidrun Rathgeb’s practice celebrates - in her words - ‘moments that feel like daily epiphanies’. Whether drawing from the dramatic landscape surrounding her home or capturing intimate moments within domesticity, Heidrun’s small-scale unique and limited edition prints explore ‘states of being’ within today’s often frenetic world.
Heidrun works using a range of traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques including woodcut, etching and monoprint. Hiking and camping in the landscape often inform Heidrun’s imagery, where she makes drawings, continuing to work on the image back in her studio. She also draws from life, using family members captured in quiet, domestic moments as her subjects.
This is one of a group of tender new monoprints by Heidrun. Capturing figures in deep, contented sleep is a recurring theme for the artist. In this case, the details of her barely-visible subject’s bedroom, including a bright blue pillow and patterned quilt, create a feeling of snugness. Printed using watercolour ink, each unique work is made using more than one printing plate, resulting in a a painterly surface with saturated colour. This work is signed and titled on the back. It is framed in oak with a walnut stain behind anti-reflective, UV 70% resistant glass.
Heidrun was born in Germany but moved to London in 1993 to study at the Byam Shaw School of Art followed by the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Her work has been exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions internationally. Recently, solo exhibitions of her paintings have been presented by John Martin Gallery in London (2022 and 2023), 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel in New York (2023), Day 01 Gallery in Sydney (2024) and Gallery Sofie van de Velde, Antwerp (2024). Oliver Projects has been proud to exhibit Heidrun’s prints at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair as well as in regular group shows. Heidrun has undertaken artistic residencies in Norway, Denmark, France, Scotland, Spain, Italy and India.
Heidrun currently lives and works in rural South Germany, with views from her home of Lake Constance and the Alps.