Atelier Evelyn Sommerhoff

Evelyn Sommerhoff: Movement, Expression, and the Body in Art

For over a decade, Evelyn Sommerhoff has focused her artistic vision on the human body, exploring its inner and outer movements, emotions, and expressions through the lens of dance. Her paintings and, above all, her drawings, encapsulate intimate depictions of nudes, moments of eroticism, and movement reduced to its essence—diary-like impressions of figures captured in various states of tension or abstraction.

Her work is deeply influenced by her years observing dancers in rehearsals and the developmental phases of entire dance productions. This „graphic, dance-like line“ also pervades her other genres, such as landscapes and non-representational art, extending even to large-format gestural drawings.

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Artistic Journey and Key Exhibitions

Sommerhoff’s early dance works debuted at the Tanzlabor dance festival in Podewil in 1996 (in motion I). A year later, these studies evolved into in motion II, presented at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin during the a/skin dance festival.

By 2002, her large-format movement pieces (in motion III) were showcased in Berlin’s historic machine hall Alte Pumpe, accompanied by a site-specific dance performance choreographed by Mo Herzinger and her Freiwild dance company.

In 2003, Sommerhoff explored tango’s historical movement sequences on five monumental 10-meter canvases, exhibited at the former slaughterhouses in Berlin Friedrichshain. That same year, her works were also displayed as part of QUARTS e.V.’s open studios in Schöneberg, presented as an immersive room installation in collaboration with Claudia Hartwig-Dolter.

Her creative synergy with music emerged in 2010 during a collaboration with trombonist Conny Bauer and dancers at the Akademie der Künste, which inspired further drawings on movement. Around the same time, her series motion in red introduced a fresh approach to depicting the body, focusing on transformation, materiality, and reduction, underscored by the mythic and gendered significance of the color red.

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Signature Themes and Series

Figurines

Since 1997, Sommerhoff has been developing her Figurines series, life-sized silhouettes on parchment that depict bodily states—energy vibrations, boundaries, injuries, and encounters. These fragile, multi-layered works reduce the body to its essential states of tension, provoking dialogue and introspection in the viewer.

From near-realistic renderings to minimalist abstractions, each figurine invites the audience to reflect on the ephemeral nature of physical and emotional experiences.

PHASES – Flags

In PHASES, Sommerhoff presents large-format, gestural works on Chinese paper. These „flags“ blend figurative and abstract elements, capturing fleeting states of being—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. The bold, meditative compositions invite a confrontation with life’s energies, encapsulated through dynamic forms and powerful red tones.

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PASSION and Eroticism

Eroticism is a recurring undercurrent in Sommerhoff’s work, rooted in her deep exploration of human nature. Her depictions of bodies and couples emphasize their energy, interplay, and reflection. Through years of self-awareness and observation, she delves into themes of sexuality and gender, transcending binary constraints to address the fluidity and duality within every individual.

Sommerhoff’s works evoke a dialogue on identity, desire, and the complexities of human connection. The sensuality in her art, shaped by her exploration of both masculine and feminine forces within, serves as a visual meditation on love, movement, and the „battle of the sexes.“

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