Ina Gerken’s abstract gestural paintings are an interplay of perception, feeling, and motion.Works demonstrate emotion through the visual exchange between line, form, and color toachieve harmony. Applying precise lines with power and ferocity, her gestures guide theviewer’s experience as displays of energy. The painting unfolds as Gerken’s logic and currentassumptions about the painting’s appearance cede to the inner self and its independent forcesduring the artistic process. Gerken uses a variety of materials such as acrylic and Japanesepaper for her work that influence how the color appears on the polyester canvas. She adds andremoves layers of paint in the act of unveiling the material plane. Although her works maysimulate recognizable shapes, Gerken’s paintings are intentionally left open to interpretation.

During the painting process, Ina Gerken experiences what seem like plans or recipes for how apainting will emerge. As it ultimately turns out, whatever control she thinks she has is only anillusion. In the end, the paintings are autonomous and follow their own logic, if they areallowed to. That logic –made up entirely of elements based on feelings –reminds her of her trueinner self.

Ina Gerken (b.1987) lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany. In 2016, Gerken graduated with amaster's from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany where she studied under KatharinaGrosse. Prior to that, Gerken studied Fine Art at Kunsthochschule Mainz, Germany where shegraduated in 2013. Residencies include The Fores Project, London (2021); and La Brea StudioArtists Residency, Los Angeles (2019).The expressive sensibility ofGerken'spractice continuesa tradition of German artists including Albert Oehlen, Gerhard Richter,and Günther Förg.