Birgit Huttemann-Holz

Silent Poetry in Encaustic In the studio of her uncle Werner Holz, an outstanding German artist, Birgit
Hüttemann-Holz was exposed to Imaginary Realism/Phantastische Malerei from early age on.

Intrigued by the contradictions of the human psyche, she first started to write poetry.

While working as a Physical Therapist, she went to study Literature, Philosophy, Education and Media Science at the Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.

A sudden change of her life, the move to the USA, triggered a stop to her writings, and a universal language was needed, taking visual form.

Birgit Hüttemann-Holz’s work is exhibited nationwide and internationally, she lives and works as an artist in the Greater Detroit Area.

Artist Statement:

“Wax protects, wax conserves, wax seals everything that is precious to me- and adds light to it.

I paint from memories, burned-in images that are surfacing right before I fall asleep, in my dreams, or while I wait to finally get to work (daily trance).

If every artist visits his or her places of childhood then you may say I am very influenced by my European roots. I paint both landscapes and inscapes.

Although separate topics, the subjects have a relationship in tone and emotion, both are holding nostalgia, mournful tunes, and lyrics. They are a sentiment. The inscapes are figurative and act as more narrative translations while the landscapes tend toward the abstract, acting more as a sanctuary, a retreat.

I paint with hot liquid beeswax, pigments and fire. The beauty of an encaustic paintings lies in its uniquely transparent layers building luminous and lush colors that are sealed in a jade-like surface.”

Birgit Huttemann- Holz, 2009