Elisabeth Bukenberger
Elisabeth Bukenberger (b. 1998) is a German figurative artist. Having recently completed her studies at the Royal College of Art, she is based between London and Berlin. Her process-led practice, serving as a method to release judgement and lean into an intuitive mode of inquiry, spans painting, drawing, print-making, sculpture and photography.
Painting remains her primary medium of expression, offering freedom and flexibility to navigate her experiences and emotions in life. Her early explorations centred on light and shadow, capturing fleeting moments of overlooked beauty within oil paintings, inspired her to begin a discourse with her own personal shadows. It was through her investigation of a silver spoon that she was able to shift toward a more conceptual interrogation of form, using the spoon as a me taphor for the human body and psychology within societal constructs. By manipulating its shape, she confronted personal vulnerabilities and experiences of body dysmorphia within broader societal expectations. Drawing on readings from Susan Sontag and Elaine Scarry on women, beauty and justice, her current work explores the female gaze and experience, specifi cally focusing on self-portraiture. Using the mirror as a source and symbol for identity and reflection, Elisabeth interweaves the exploration of three-dimen sionality with a visceral reflection on the psychological and physical realities of womanhood.
