Julie Mehretu

Artists

Julie Mehretu

Press release

The Ethiopian American artist Julie Mehretu (b. 1970, Addis Ababa) is one of the most influential painters working today. This first major solo exhibition in Germany presents the full range of Mehretu’s work, from the urban-inspired line drawings of the 1990s to her most recent abstract paintings of spectacular scale. At the same time, the exhibition offers deep insights into the genesis of Mehretu’s works. She often begins with media images of political events and historical sites, which she translates into complex abstract compositions through numerous notations, overpaintings, and maskings.

In the exhibition at K21, Mehretu’s image archive will be shown for the first time alongside her works. This vividly demonstrate how art is created and how it grants consciousness, freedom, and agency in the face of the storm of events conveyed by the media. 

The exhibition is being organized in cooperation with the Pinault Collection, which shows “Julie Mehretu. Ensemble” at the Palais Grassi until January 6, 2025.

In partnership with the BMW Group.