Petra Rös-Nickel

Short biography

Concrete art with sensual texture and vibrant colors

Petra Rös-Nickel's works impressively combine structure, rhythm, and dynamism. Her paintings are reminiscent of musical scores composed of light, color, and form—almost as if they were making music visible. Colored surfaces reminiscent of barcodes begin to dance when viewed. Lines and segments of color merge into a visual ballet that breaks up the austerity of geometric compositions and unfolds a surprising sensuality.

Many of her works appear almost textile-like, inviting the viewer to touch them with their eyes.
This is no coincidence: Petra Rös-Nickel originally comes from fashion design—a background that is reflected in the materiality and richness of detail in her works. At the same time, the structuring use of lines refers to her later studies in architecture.

The artist belongs to the Concrete Art movement. Her works do not follow any external model—neither nature nor other art forms—but arise entirely from her own inner drive.

Petra Rös-Nickel develops her image ideas from within herself, often in
a long, process-oriented work flow. She explores the possibilities of the surface, probing and feeling her way—always in search of new forms of expression.
She often uses a surface created with colored stone powder as a basis, which she then works on layer by layer with oil paint—sometimes with a clear structure, sometimes more freely. Even in the first layers, scratches and fine cracks create relief-like structures that emphasize the sculptural character of her paintings. Lines are usually added at the very end: they give the painting order and set the rhythm. Colored marble pigments create a powdery, lively texture as they bond differently with the substrate. Glossy and matte areas alternate, and layers, scratches, and overlays create depth—almost like a glimpse into another dimension.

The results are multi-layered, tangible compositions with a strong design reference. Their colorfulness and linearity are reminiscent of Mondrian or Rothko, but their materiality and textile character are also reminiscent of Bauhaus artist Anni Albers. And even though Petra Rös-Nickel follows her own artistic intuition exclusively, her work reflects a holistic understanding of art—one that, like the Bauhaus, transcends the boundaries between art, architecture, and design.

Petra Rös-Nickel (*1963) lives and works near Hamburg. After training in fashion design and clothing technology in Bremen, she began studying architecture – a path that is still reflected in her art today. She has been working as a freelance artist since 2002. Her works have been exhibited internationally, including in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
In 2021, she was featured at the "Position Berlin" fair and in the
group exhibition "Love always Wins" at the Maune Contemporary Gallery in Atlanta. Her works can be found in numerous private and public collections worldwide.