Sonja Kalb

Biography

“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.”

Wassily Kandinsky

Short Biography

The love of art and the need to express myself through colours and compositions have always accompanied me. Photographs, nature drawings, nude and portrait painting developed while training as a textile and design engineer have helped me develop a handwriting that is as precise artistically as it is sound on an artisanal level. Like many artists of the 20th and 21st century, I have turned from figurative painting first to collage and then to abstraction.

I reduce to the essential: shapes and the substance of colours. My means of expression are surface structures and textures, strong contrasts, at times expressive colour choices and play with colour surfaces that partly conceal, partly reveal what lies beneath. In order for the complexity and optical depth of the paintings to become perceptible, parts of the canvas remain open. To apply layers, I use paintbrushes and palette knives, oil crayons, pencil and pigments.

Travelling is my source of inspiration: I am guided by memories of a place’s colours, its nature, particular patterns of light and shadow. My artistic practice is a painted response to the disrespect of the environment and the fast pace of the increasingly digitalized world; an expression of my desire that we develop respect for the surrounding world and that we recognize the urgency of a sustainable protection of nature. The paintings’ titles refer to those sources of inspiration, subject areas and concerns. More importantly, though, my colour worlds are meant to invite viewers to go on a sensuous journey of discovery and to inspire thoughts and ideas of their own.

Sonja Kalb, 2021

Current & Upcoming

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Orange the World- end violence against women and girl
Bardula, Marian Bijlenga, Robbert de Goede, Bernd C. Dietrich, Stephi Friedrich, Ueli Gantner, Kurt Grimm, Sonja Kalb, Yoshiyuki Miura, Hannes Mussner, Sascha Nordmeyer, Simon Oud, Fabian Pfleger, Christoph Pöggeler, Merlin Reichart, Babak Saed, Alberto Saka, Reiner Seliger und Xianwei Zhu.
25. November 2023 – 10. Dezember 2023

Opening on Friday, 25 November 2023, 16:00

Galerie Kellermann
Heinrich-Heine-Allee 12
40212 Düsseldorf
DE

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Aqua Art Miami 2023
Dezember 6 - 10, 2023

VIP Preview:
Wednesday, December 6 | 3pm-10pm

Public Hours:
Thursday, December 7 | 12pm - 9pm
Friday, December 8 | 11am - 9pm
Saturday, December 9 | 11am - 9pm
Sunday, December 10 | 11am - 6pm

Aqua Art Miami
Arte Globale Gallery
Booth #104
USA

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Botanik. Das kleine Format
5 December 2023 – 16 January 2024

Opening on Tuesday, 5 December at 18:00
Finissage on Tuesday, 16 January 2023 at 18:00

Opening hours by appointment only: +49 211 35 64 71

Künstlerverein Malkasten
Jacobistraße 6a
40211 Düsseldorf
DE

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10 Jahre Galerie Kellermann
Bardula, Marian, Bijlenga, Victor Bonato, Bernd C. Dietrich, Stephi Friedrich, Rupprecht Geiger, Robbert de Goede, Kurt Grimm, Marcus Jansen, Sonja Kalb, Adolf Luther, Stephan Marienfeld,
Goncalo ´Mabunda, Yoshiyuki Miura, Marcello Morandini, Hannes Mussner, Sacha Nordmeyer, Simon Oud, Fabian Pflleger, Otto Piena, Christoph Pöggeler, Merlin Reichart, Erich Reusch, Babak Saed, Alberto Saka, Bernd Schwarzer, Gérard Stricher, Günther Uecker sowie Zalez

29 September 2023 – 18 November 2023

Galerie Kellermann
Heinrich-Heine-Allee 12
40212 Düsseldorf
DE

Galerie Kellermann (Oberkassel)
Cheruskerstr. 105
40545 Düsseldorf
DE

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Affordable Art Fair - New York City
20 - 24 September 2023

Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street,
New York, NY 10011
USA

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Organizing Chaos
30 September - 7 October 2023

Opening on 30. September 2023, 5:30 p.m

Fondazione Matalon
Foro Buonaparte 67,
20121 Mailand
IT

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Kunstpunkt 196 Open Studio
26. August 2023 - Saturday 14-20:00
27. August 2023 - Sunday 12-18:00

Kunstpunkt 196_Sonja Kalb
Wielandstr. 54
40211 Düsseldorf
DE

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Sicily Summer Art Expo
22 July - 29 July 2023

Opening on Saturday, 22 July 2023, 19:00

Ragusa Museum
Ragusa Cathedral Museum
Corso Italia 87
97100 Ragusa
IT

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Inner Bloom
25 July 2023 - 08 August 2023

Opening on Tuesday, 25 July 2023, 18:00

Monat Gallery
Calle de Estudios 7
28012 Madrid
SP

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OpenArtCode Gaeta
21 May – 25 June 2023

Opening on 21 May 2023

Pinacoteca Comunale "Antonio Sapone" di Gaeta
Contemporary Art Museum
Via de Lieto, 2,
04024 Gaeta LT
IT

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Shape of Vision
01 July – 25 July 2023

Opening on 01 July 2023

Galleria Spazio57
Via Chiatamone, 57
80121 Naples
IT

Works

Key Works

Polyptychs

Editions

Curriculum Vitae

Awards

2022	Voices of Tomorrow Art Award
2020	WAA Woman Art Award, Musa International Art Space in cooperation with UNESCO
2019	Special Mention for Excellence, London Art Biennial
2018	Best Abstract Artwork, Biennial Chianciano

Selected Exhibitions

2022	Open Art Code, Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, JP
2022	Orange the World, Galerie Kellermann, DE
2022	Open Art Code, Grand Palais Ephémère, Paris, FR
2022	Sonja Kalb: Traumland, Ross31, Düsseldorf, DE
2022	Forgotten Realities,Gallery Monat, Madrid, SP
2021	We Contemporary Art Show, Raum Salmgasse, Vienna, AT
2020	Winterausstellung, Galerie Kellermann, Düsseldorf, DE
2020	Art of Remediation, Haegeumgang Theme Museum, Geoje, KR
2020	Woman's Essence, Palazzo Velli, Rome, IT
2020	Sommer 20 – 20 Künstler, Galerie Kellermann, Düsseldorf, DE
2020	Sonja Kalb, Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, DE
2019	We Contemporary Art Show, Topič Salon, Prague, CZ
2019	Künstler der Galerie, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2019	Kunstverein Duisburg zu Gast im Kunstverein Landshut, Kunstverein Landshut, Landshut, DE
2019	London Art Biennial, Chelsea Old Town Hall, London, UK
2019	Strukturen, Galerie Kellermann, Düsseldorf, DE
2018	International Biennial of Flanders, Site Oud Sint-Jan Museum, Bruges, BE
2018	Chianciano Biennial, Gagliardi Gallery, London, UK
2018	Expo Autumn, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2018	Sonja Kalb, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2018	Chianciano Biennial, Museo d'Arte di Chianciano, Chianciano Terme, IT
2017	Sonja Kalb: Abstrakte Malerei, Museum Kaiserswerth, Düsseldorf, DE
2017	Rainforest, Kunstverein Duisburg, Duisburg, DE
2016	Sonja Kalb: Poesie der Farben, Galerie Kellermann im Ballhaus im Nordpark, Düsseldorf, DE
2016	White Christmas, Galerie Kellermann, Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, DE
2016	Encounters – Begegnungen, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2015	Abstract Dreams, Galerie Kellermann, Düsseldorf, DE
2015	Sonja Kalb: Emotion, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2015	Color of Life, Galería Art Cuestion, Ourense, ES
2015	20 Jahre Galerie Heidefeld, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2013	Art for Peace for a better World, National Art Gallery of Izmir, Izmir, TR
2013	Full House, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Düsseldorf, DE
2012	Fulfilment, Gallery M-Mauersberger, Vienna, AT
2012	Sonja Kalb: Abstraktionen, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2012	21st Century Art and Artists, Gallery M-Mauersberger, Vienna, AT
2011	Woman Art, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2010	Künstler der Galerie, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2010	Untitled, Galerie Anne Malchers, Bergisch Gladbach, DE
2009	Latin Kunst, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE
2009	Sonja Kalb, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, Krefeld, DE

Selected Fairs

2023	Affordable Art Fair, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York City, USA
2022	art3f. Salon international d'art contemporain, Brussels Expo, Brussels, BE
2022	International Art Fair Innsbruck, Olympiahalle Innsbruck, AT
2021	art3f. Salon international d'art contemporain, Brussels Expo, Brussels, BE
2018	art KARLSRUHE, Messe Karlsruhe, Rheinstetten, DE
2017	Montreux Art Gallery, Montreux Music & Convention Centre, Montreux, FR
2015	25. Kunstmesse, Frauenmuseum, Bonn, DE
2014	1st International Contemporary Art Fair Iran, Qasr Garden Museum, Tehran, IR
2013	23. Kunstmesse, Frauenmuseum, Bonn, DE
2012	Affordable Art Fair, La Pelanda, Rome, IT
2012	Art Beijing, Fangheng International Center, Beijing, CN
2011	Lineart 30, Flanders Expo, Ghent, BE

Selected Publications

Sonja Kalb, edited by Matthias Kellermann, Galerie Kellermann, 2022
Interview with Sonja Kalb, edited by Marta Puig, Contemporary Art Curator, 2022
We Contemporary, edited by Musa International Art Space, Serradifalco Editore, 2021
John Austin, Unconstrained Paintings by Sonja Kalb, in Artery, 19 November 2020
Paul Zimmerman, Spotlight: Sonja Kalb, in Artery, 23 September 2020
Premio Combat 2020 Prize, edited by Paolo Batoni, Sillabe, 2020
Woman’s Essence UNESCO Edition, edited by Musa International Art Space, Serradifalco Editore, 2020
Premio Combat 2019 Prize, edited by Paolo Batoni, Sillabe, 2019
Sonja Kalb, edited by Matthias Kellermann, Galerie Kellermann, 2019
Timothy Warrington, Sonja Kalb. Critical Analysis, International Confederation Art Critics, 2019
We Contemporary, edited by Musa International Art Space, Serradifalco Editore, 2019
Sonja Kalb. Emotion, edited by Egon Heidefeld, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, 2015
International Contemporary Artists Volume V, edited by Olga Antoniadou, ICA Publishing, 2012
Sonja Kalb. Abstraktionen, edited by Egon Heidefeld, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, 2012
International Contemporary Artists Volume IV, edited by Olga Antoniadou, ICA Publishing, 2012
Sonja Kalb, edited by Egon Heidefeld, Galerie Heidefeld & Partner, 2009

Selected Collections

Yukyung Art Museum, Haegeumgang Theme Museum, Geoje, KR
Art Collection, Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, DE