“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way.”
(Georgia O’Keeffe)
The abstract-monochrome work of Elke Reis moves within the fields of minimalism and colorfield painting. Through strict reduction in color and form there is a freedom to see the manifold nuances of color hues, to focus on the perception of color and to sense even emotionally the interaction with light and space. The monochrome paintings emerge through a tedious sometimes almost meditative process: layer upon layer of highly diluted oil paint is gently brushed onto the canvas. In the interplay of these translucent strata and the deliberate reduction of form, the surfaces begin to breathe, revealing a subtle depth and a restrained vibrancy that unfolds gradually in the viewer’s gaze.
Elke Reis currently lives and works in Munich, Germany. She is a board member of Neue Gruppe e.V. at Haus der Kunst, Munich.
Since beginning to exhibit her work publicly in 2010, her ongoing art career has included 13 solo exhibitions in Germany, Italy, and the United States, as well as numerous group exhibitions across Europe and the U.S. Notable exhibitions include TheFemaleArtShow at Munich Art Gallery (2023, 2024), offshore – 15 minutes of fame by Künstlerbund at Haus der Kunst, Munich (2022), Art Nordic in Copenhagen, Denmark (2019), the ITSLIQUID International Art Fair in Venice, Italy (2017), Kunstverein München (2016), Premio Gambio Venice Art Prize (2015), and the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, California (2010, 2011), among others.
In 2024, she was invited as an artist-in-residence at the La Storta Space in Venice, hosted by the Arts & Culture Organization Venezia Contemperanea.
exhibitions :
selected solo-exhibitions:
2025 Begegnung - Räume der Stille, Lätare-Kirche, Munich, Germany
2024 into the box, the BOX, Munich, Germany
2023 Studio exhibition, Munich, Germany
2022 In erster Linie Farbe, Kunstraum Lot, Munich, Germany
2021 From the outside to the inside and back, Kunstraum Lot Munich, Germany
2018 kleines format, kuenstlerprojektlot62, Munich, Germany
2015 Square – works on paper, künstlerprojektlot62, Munich, Germany
2014 non-abstrAKTE, künstlerprojektlot62, Munich, Germany
2013 solo künstlerprojektlot62, Munich, Germany
2012 solo, Projekt Mischa, Munich, Germany
2011 solo, Naglee Park Open Studios, San Jose, CA/USA
selected group-exhibitions:
2026
FemaleContemporary, artnowGalerie, Berlin, Germany
IDYLLE, Offene Ateliers im Glashaus, Munich, Germany
2025
X-Gallery, x.gallery.muc, Munich, Germany
Quadratouren, Neue Gruppe e.V., Neue Galerie KVD Dachau, Germany
Kunst in Sendling, Munich, Germany
35x35 artproject, selection of the Copelouzos Family artmuseum, Athen, Greece
Sendlinger Bilderfries III, Kulturschmiede Munich, Germany
SunnySideUp, Kunstforum Arabellapark, Munich, Germany
weiß+schwarz+schwarzweiß+weißschwarz, Galerie m50, Oberursel/Taunus, Germany
IDYLLE, Offene Ateliers im Glashaus, Munich
2024
Petersburger Hängung VIII, Galerie m50, Oberursel/Taunus, Germany
MicroArtGallery(artispresent), platform Munich, Germany
Connexions---Verbindungen partII, Bordeaux, France
whiteout IV, Neue Gruppe e.V., Kunstverein Ulm, Germany
Wegweiser, Korneliuskirche Karlsfeld, Germany
Sendlinger Bilderfries II, Kulturschmiede Munich, Germany
Déjà Vu –Begegnungen, Magda Bittner-Simmet-Stiftung, Munich, Germany
Verbindungen ---connexions, Mohr-Villa Munich, Germany
Spuren, Gruppe BoART, Unterföhring, Germany
TheFemaleShow, munichartgallery, Munich, Germany
2023
Petersburger Hängung VII, Galerie m50, Oberursel/Taunus, Germany
Kunst in Sendling, Munich, Germany
Sendlinger Bilderfries, Kulturschmiede Munich, Germany
ÜberlebenSkunst, Gruppe BoART, Munich, Germany
Kunst International @Kühlhaus, Berlin, Germany
Wandel, Gärtner-Klinik, Munich, Germany
TheFemaleShow, munichartgallery, Munich, Germany
Hängenden Gärten gleich, Flower Power Festival Munich, Germany
2022
offshore - 15 minutes of fame, Künstlerbund im Haus der Kunst Munich, Germany (digital exhibition)
Metamorphosen, Kunst International Leonberg, Germany
ARTe Wiesbaden, Germany
Licht-Kontrast-Farbe, Kunstraum Lot Munich, Germany
not only black, Gruppe BoART, Munich, Germany
mimosa, Kunstraum Lot Munich, Germany
2021
Kunst am Bau…zaun, Kunstprojekt im Öffentlichen Raum, Munich, Germany
Korrespondenzen, Galerie m50, Oberursel/Taunus, Germany
2020
Petersburger Hängung, Galerie m50, Oberursel/Taunus, Germany
2017
24.Kunstpreis Aichach, Germany
Consciousness – Anima Mundi Festival, Venice, Italy
´panta rhei` @lot62, Munich, Germany
`Go inside`, Orangerie, English Garden, Munich, Germany
Kölner Liste, fair for contemporary art, Cologne, Germany
`munich artists say hello” group installation, Munich, Germany
2016
`Prospettive 2016` Trieste, Italy
Happy ART, artfair Munich, Germany
`Zeige deine Nase` - part of the exhibition `Hayward&Tamayo`@Kunstverein Munich, Germany
`Der verwundete Garten`- Kunst-im-Kontext, Weilheim, Germany
ArtMuc 2016 (Director`s choice), Munich, Germany
´500 artists say Hello´- installation by Munich Artists, Munich, Germany
2015
Square works on paper @lot62, Munich, Germany
Kunstmesse.25. current positions of selected international women artists,
Frauenmuseum Bonn, Germany
Kunst im Aufbruch – Kunstprojekt Barlowstr.8, Munich, Germany
Premio Gambino Venice Art Prize 2015, Madonna Dell’Orto, Venice, Italy
`Zwischen Himmel und Erde` - paintings and sculptures @lot62, Munich, Germany
`Heimat: ein Ort - ein Gefühl – ein Bedürfnis?` Kunstrefugium Munich, Germany
2014
`Kunst im Abriss` - installation, HDI, Munich, Germany
Autoren-Galerie 1, Munich, Germany
Licht und Schatten, Kunstverein Erding, Germany
Kunst im Karrèe, Munich, Germany
Drei Künstler unter einem Dach @Kunstforum Arabellapark, Munich, Germany
2013
Small works show @lot62, Munich, Germany
100 works, Kunstverein Erding, Germany
100 works – 100 artists Catalogue project Kunstverein Erding, Germany
2012
Bogenhausener Kulturtage, Munich, Germany
Figurative works @Atelierprojekt Munich, Germany
2011
Naglee Park Open Studios, San Jose, CA
SVOS 25th Anniversary Preview Exhibit Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Benefit Auction exhibit, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CA
Choices 22nd SBAWCA Member’s Show, San Jose, CA
Better luck next time, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CA
2010
Ring in the New, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CA
Small works show, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Open studios SVOS, Saratoga and Portola Valley, CA
2009
Small works show, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
press :
- Interview: Luca Curci talks with the artist Elke Reis during CONSCIOUSNESS of ANIMA MUNDI festival 2017 in VENICE
http://www.itsliquid.com/interview-elke-reis.html its.liquidgroupinterview.pdf
- "Elke Reis - ein Widerhall des malerisch Ungesagten" - Elke Reis in ARTPROFIL - Magazin für Kunst, Heft 102/2014, © SYNTAX.
Medienproduktion + Verlag GmbH, 68219 Mannheim, Deutschland, www.artprofil-kunstmagazin.com, redaktion@artprofil-kunstmagazin.com
- laudatio by Albin Zauner (artist/art therapist) at the opening of the exhibition "Drei Küenstler unter einem Dach" at the Kunstforum Arabellapark, Munich, May 2014