Particularly fascinated by the feel of natural materials such as beeswax, marble dust, lime putty, sands, stone powders and pigments, my three-dimensional, object type paintings and sculptures are a contemporary interpretation of ancient fresco and encaustic painting techniques. I try to avoid synthetic materials where ever possible. Both methods date back centuries.

My approach to each painting is very intuitive and process oriented. Following my instincts, I do not try to reach a particular outcome when starting a new painting. Immersing in the making of my colors and paint mediums release the creative energy that guides me through the process. It reflects in my works, which I feel are organic and authentic and try to speak to the viewer on a visceral level.

Giving up expectations, focusing on the potential of a painting rather than seeing mistakes takes practice but is a liberating experience. It’s all about finding rather than searching,  living in the very moment, being curious, taking risks, dealing with the consequences of decisions, and finding a way to a balanced composition of each artwork.

I am passionate about abstract paintings and a mainly self-taught artist but attended various classes and workshops with different teachers at art academies in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States over the last ten years. Mostly influenced definitely by Gabriele Musebrink.

In 2017 I „officially“ started to exhibit in Switzerland, A year later, I was invited to participate at the Juried Show of the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, US and in 2019 to an exhibition in Bologna, Italy.

All of my works are unique and irreproducible. They were created in moments of no expectations but full of energy and surrender.

Truro Center of the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, USA, Lia Rothenstein „Encaustic & Cold Wax, a Sensational Synergy“, May 2019

Zijedlings, Tilburg, NL, Dietlind Van der Schaaf „Transparencies, Layers and See Throughs“, Encaustic Workship, April 2019

Fabrik am See, Akademie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Germany, Gabriele Musebrink, “Licht in Grau-Weiss-Modulationen”, November 2018

Truro Center of the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, USA, Jodi Reeb „Alternative Surfaces“,  June 2018

Truro Center of the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, USA, Susan Lasch Krevitt „Cyanotypes“,  June 2018

Alicia Tormey, „Learn to Burn“, February 2018

Geistreich, Dortmund, Gabriele Musebrink, „Master Class Steinzeichen“, March 2017

Fabrik am See, Akademie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Germany, Gabriele Musebrink, “Stille und Kraft”, October 2016

Fabrik am See, Akademie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Germany, Gabriele Musebrink, Masterclass “Der Zenstrick in Aufgebrochenes”, August 2015

Malreise „Le Grand Bleu“ mit Ines Hildur in St. Paul de Vence, Frankreich, April 2014

Fabrik am See, Akademie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Germany, Gabriele Musebrink “Die haptische Herausforderung mit dem Extremen”, March 2014

Fabrik am See, Akademie für zeitgenössische Kunst, Germany, Gabriele Musebrink “Dem Unvorhersehbaren auf der Spur”, April 2013

Kunstfabrik Wien, Austria, Gabriele Musebrink “Dem Unvorhersehbaren auf der Spur”, February 2013

International Encaustic Conference 2020 (conference canceled), Scholarship

International Encaustic Conference 2019, Scholarship awarded by the International Encaustic Association, Provincetown, MA

Since 2018 Member of the IEA – International Encaustic Association

Exhibition Coordinator frontofbicycle (3 years, 2017 – 2019)

Since the beginning of 2017  represented by frontofbicycle.

fob is an art agency connecting foreign and local artists and communities in Basel regularly organizing multi-artist exhibitions.

Bettina Egli Sennhauser

kunstfreiraum

Hohestrasse 134

4104 Oberwil

bettina@kunstfreiraum.ch

+41 79 622 38 81