Christina Hofbauer finds inspiration in moments of reflection or emotion, capturing them in her large format figurative works. These paintings are like snapshots that illuminate her subject’s character. Whether they focus on a solitary person or an interaction between several, her use of shadow and light, the muted pallet and shrouded features show the play between concealment and revelation, vulnerability and strength. There isn’t one truth or specific time and place suggested and the viewer is immersed in the middle of the story, free to interpret and fill-in.

Tranquility pervades all of Christina’s compositions. A mood particularly expressed in the astronaut series, where the juxtaposition of lush jungle and the cool descent of the anachronistic space suits creates a sense of mystery and calm . We are not privy to her subject’s state of mind and can only assume there is a human face beneath the helmet. Like the astronaut, the viewer is suspended in this moment of time, uncertain of how it will end.

These figurative works are painted predominately in oils which deliver a powerful depth and brilliance. She uses acrylics for her smaller, graphical paintings as well as watercolour on paper, seen in her spherical representations. These last reveal patterns of differing emotional states—colours and textures reflecting a variety of mood and feeling.

Christina Hofbauer lives and works in Berlin.