Geography (Lion’s Den), 2013
Watercolour on canvas
100 x 120 cm /39 3/8 x 47 1/4 in.
Watercolour on canvas
100 x 120 cm /39 3/8 x 47 1/4 in.
Otto-Knapp, Silke
Biography
Born in 1970 in Osnabrück, Germany, Silke Otto-Knapp obtained a degree in cultural studies from the University of Hildesheim and a master from the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK. She worked in watercolour on canvas in a palette of black and silvery greys, applying multiple layers of drawings that she repeatedly washed down again. Silke Otto–Knapp‘s large formatted grisailles mainly featured landscapes and figures, the latter often inspired by dance performances and stage designs. The layering of shadowy images and minimal pigment build-up on her canvasses gave her lighter works a ghostly transparency, whereas the darker ones often had the gloomy nocturnal appearance of photographic negatives. Silke Otto-Knapp has widely exhibited her works in commercial galleries and cultural institutions across Europe and North America. She worked in Los Angeles, CA, USA, where she died in 2022.