A.R. Penck - The Temple of Many Faces
Michael Werner Gallery•Feb 26, 2025 — May 03, 2025
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Michael Werner Gallery, New York is pleased to present The Temple of Many Faces, an exhibition of self-portraits by one of the most important artists of post-war Germany, A.R. Penck (b. 1939 in Dresden, d. 2017 in Zürich).
Self-portraiture was an integral part of A.R. Penck’s artistic development during his life in the German Democratic Republic. Born Ralf Winkler, A.R. Penck shifted between pseudonyms to elude East German authorities who continually surveilled and harassed him. Unable to exist as his true self, self-portraiture was a way of affirming his individuality and identity as an artist.
Penck’s work developed separately from the West, learning about the history and contemporary developments of Western art through books and reproductions. He was greatly inspired by Rembrandt, who famously painted over 100 self-portraits during his lifetime, and by Picasso, whose artistic developments can be charted through his self-portraits. Penck was also inspired by…
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A.R. Penck - The Temple of Many Faces
Michael Werner Gallery•Feb 26, 2025 — May 03, 2025
Press Release
Michael Werner Gallery, New York is pleased to present The Temple of Many Faces, an exhibition of self-portraits by one of the most important artists of post-war Germany, A.R. Penck (b. 1939 in Dresden, d. 2017 in Zürich).
Self-portraiture was an integral part of A.R. Penck’s artistic development during his life in the German Democratic Republic. Born Ralf Winkler, A.R. Penck shifted between pseudonyms to elude East German authorities who continually surveilled and harassed him. Unable to exist as his true self, self-portraiture was a way of affirming his individuality and identity as an artist.
Penck’s work developed separately from the West, learning about the history and contemporary developments of Western art through books and reproductions. He was greatly inspired by Rembrandt, who famously painted over 100 self-portraits during his lifetime, and by Picasso, whose artistic developments can be charted through his self-portraits. Penck was also inspired by…
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