The Weight of Color and Surface

In the quiet spaces of her studio in Düsseldorf, Martina Klein works with a focus on the physical presence of paint. Born in Trier, Germany, her practice is rooted in the tactile reality of the medium rather than the pursuit of representation. She approaches the canvas not as a window, but as a surface to be built. Using a spatula, she applies layers of pigment, building up a texture that feels almost like plaster. These surfaces are not smooth; they possess a living quality, shaped by the repetitive, deliberate movement of the tool against the grain.

Her compositions often settle into formal structures, favoring the geometry of squares and rectangles. There is a specific tension in how she handles color. Sometimes the tones are soft and tempered, receding into the background, while at other times they appear bright and pronounced. This variation in intensity changes how the light hits the uneven, layered surface, making the work feel different depending on the time of day or the angle of the viewer.

Spatial Presence and Form

The way a painting occupies a room is central to Klein's approach. She often mounts her canvases in a corner, a choice that transforms the flat plane into something with architectural weight. By placing the work this way, she creates open, interior spaces within the geometry of the piece. The viewer does not just look at the front; the stretcher and the back of the canvas are often left visible, making the construction of the object part of the experience itself.

Her career has been marked by several notable placements in institutional collections and exhibitions:

• Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede
• FRAC in Paris
• Kunsthalle Bremerhaven
• Artissima 2023

A Material Practice

The development of her work is tied to her studies at the art academy in Kassel. This foundation is evident in the way she treats the canvas as a structural element. The paintings are not merely images; they are objects that demand a certain physical awareness. By emphasizing the edges and the rear of the frame, she removes the illusion of a separate world, keeping the viewer grounded in the reality of the material. It is a practice of subtraction and addition, where the thickness of the paint and the shape of the frame define the boundaries of the work.