In the ambivalence between strength and vulnerability, the synthetic creatures in Barbara Lüdde’s ink drawings move within a surreal in-between space, a space of thought. Clothing, gestures, and accessories appear as cultural codes and become the “armor” of the individual – an expression of self-staging and at the same time a mirror of social belonging.
At the center of Lüdde’s work lies an interest in systems of signs: she investigates how symbols, fashions, and everyday objects carry meaning and enable social positioning. From her own image archive of historical and contemporary references – ranging from Gothic drapery to fidget spinners – emerge drawings created in a bricolage technique, weaving disparate signs into multilayered visual networks.
The gray nuances, applied in multiple layers, lend the works an unusual softness that stands in contrast to what is depicted and makes its hidden complexity visible. In her installations, Lüdde expands the drawings with fabrics, sound, and spatial components, creating atmospheres that intensify the ambivalence of closeness and distance, protection and solitude.
Her works are thus not portraits; they are reflections on the functions of cultural signs within a complex society.
Vita
Lives and works in Hamburg and Berlin
Since 2023 Part of GIFT Kollektiv
Since 2025 Guest professor at Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design, Kiel
2022 – 2023 Guest lecturer (Drawing in Fine Arts) at Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design, Kiel
2021 – 2023 Guest lecturer (Drawing in Fine Arts) at University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg
2021 Part of Goldrausch Künstlerinnenprojekt, Berlin
2020 Guest lecturer at Bauhaus Universität Weimar
2010 – 2018 Studies in Hamburg
2006 – 2009 Studies in Braunschweig
1985 Born in Weimar
EXHIBITIONS
Upcoming and Current
17.4.2025 Flachware und Papiertorten, Group Exhibition – Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
Solo and Duo
2025 50 Shades of Gray, Duo Exhibition with Andrey Klassen (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2024 Two of me, Duo Exhibition with Anica Seidel (Galerie Waidspeicher, Kunstmuseen Erfurt)
2023 YouMeMeYou (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2022 1999 oder Ich Hasse Jungs (aus meiner Klasse 7b) (Kunsthalle Ost, Leipzig)
2021 Kissing Without Penetration (Galerie Laetitia Gorsy, Leipzig Spinnerei)
2020 S T R U K T U R (Feinkunst Krüger Hamburg) with Moshtari Hilal
2020 I Don't Want It In My Body (NYG|West, Leipzig) with Corrina Goutos
2019 I kissed a Punk and I liked it, I hope my Nazi friends don't mind it (Galerie Gemüse, Hamburg)
2019 ZORN (Raum linksrechts, Hamburg)
2019 I Don't Want It In My Body (Âme Nue, Hamburg) with Corrina Goutos
2018 Sad Money Toys II (Zur Klappe, Berlin)
2018 Sad Money Toys (Âme Nue, Hamburg)
2017 Lonely Crowd (Studio 45, Hamburg)
2015 In the Picture: Gwaendo (Gent, Belgium)
2014 Corecass Record Release Night (Westwerk Leipzig)
Fairs (selection)
2023 Art Düsseldorf with Thomas Rehbein Galerie
2022 Swab on Paper with Galerie Laetitia Gorsy, curated section of Swab Art Fair (Barcelona)
2022 Paper Positions (Hamburg)
Group (selection)
2025 Worin unsere Stärke besteht – to be continued – Schloß Biesdorf, Berlin
2025 Nebula – Galerie im Saalbau, Kommunale Galerien Berlin
2024 Dear Future Me – Wir verabschieden uns in die Zukunft (Thomas Rehbein Galerie, Köln)
2024 Anonymous Drawings (Kunstraum Kreuzberg, Bethanien Berlin/ Kunsthaus Erfurt, Erfurt)
2024 Venom, Group Exhibition with GIFT Kollektiv (Zuostant, Berlin)
2024 On my mind (Galerie Melike Bilir, Hamburg)
2024 Mit heißer Nadel (Schau Fenster, Berlin)
2024 Toy Tonics Pop Up Gallery, (Museum Villa Stuck, München)
2024 Kerne knacken Kirschen essen, GIFT Collective (Kunstverein Culterim, Berlin)
2024 Martini Cocktail #3 (Galerie Laetitia Gorsy, Leipzig)
2023 Ornament und Verbrechen (Lage Egal, Berlin)
2023 Kunstpreis des Chateu Bleu, Hamburg
2023 25 Jahre Feinkunst Krüger (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2023 "Our Piece of Punk" at The F*word (Museum Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg)
2022 Wall of Sound (Lage Egal, Berlin)
2022 To the end of the year (Galerie Tammen, Berlin)
2022 On Paper (Thomas Rehbein Galerie, Köln)
2022 Sports Illustrated (Arsenal Contemporary Art, 214 Bowery, 10012 New York)
2022 All the world’s a stage (Studio Hanniball, Pappelallee 15, 10437 Berlin)
2022 Tonbildpostkarten (Künstlerhaus Factory, Wien)
2022 IMAGE FETICHE (Galerie Stephanie Kelly, Dresden)
2022 JUBILEE X – One Decade of frontviews (HAUNT, Berlin)
2022 Inside Draftwomen III (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2022 CRUSH (Feld+Haus, Berlin – curated by Alana Lake and frontviews, organized by Finnland Institut)
2021 Staycation (Catinca Tabacaru Gallery and Sandwich Gallery in Bucharest – curated by CTG Collective, supported by Goethe-Insitut Bucuresti)
2021 Mutual Matters, (Goldrausch Künstlerinnenprojekt, Sammlung Haubrok, Fahrgemeinschaft Berlin)
2021 DOSIS II (IFZ, Leipzig)
2021 MUTUAL FRAGMENTS (basis, Frankfurt am Main)
2020 Weltpremiere Tonbildpostkartenserie (Charim Galerie, Wien)
2020 Inside Draftswomen (Galerie 21, Vorwerk-Stift, Hamburg)
2020 Die Welt ist Ganz (Galerie Melike Bilir, Hamburg)
2020 ART OFF (Westwerk, Hamburg)
2019 Hands & Pants 7 (Faultline Artspace, Oakland)
2019 Don't Wake Daddy XIV (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2018 Monsters of Drawing (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2018 Die neue Mona Lisa (Galerie Melike Bilir, Hamburg)
2017 Don't Wake Daddy XII (Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg)
2017 Blumen am Arsch der Hölle (Shedhalle, Tübingen)
Workshops
2022 Drawing Workshop – Lifesize portrait, HAW Hamburg
2022 Drawing Workshop, Class Bonvicini at UDK Berlin
Residencies, Prices and Scholarships
2023 Shortlist Ulla and Ebergard Jung Foundation Prize 2023
2023 Nominated for Casa Baldi, Olevano Romano, Italy
2022 NEUSTART KULTUR Scholarchip, Stiftung Kunstfonds
2021 Selected for Modul D, Deutscher Künstlerbund
2021 NEUSTART KULTUR Scholarchip, Stiftung Kulturwerk, VG Bild-Kunst
2021 Staycation Symposium, Bukarest
2021 Goldrausch Künstlerinnenprojekt, Berlin
2020 Funding Hamburgische Kulturstiftung, »Kunst kennt keinen Shutdown«
2020 Residence at Künstlerhaus Vorwerk-Stift, Hamburg
Public Collections
2023 Collection Graphics and Poster, Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe, Stiftung Hamburger Kunstsammlungen
2022 Graphic collection, Stadtmuseum Berlin
Publications, Editions & Artist Books
1999 oder Ich Hasse Jungs (aus meiner Klasse 7b) (Catalogue/Zine, Design by Hagen Tanneberger, 2022)
Zeitgeister (Catalogue, Goldrausch Künstlerinnen, Design by Fabian Bremer, 2021)
Lithography for Tabor Presse Berlin (Grafik-Kalender 2022)
Greyscale App (App, 2020)
Someone, Somewhere, Soon (One track Vinyl-postcard, together with CORECASS, Vinylograph, 2020)
Missy Magazine (Magazine, 2020)
I Don't Want It In My Body (Catalogue-Zine, Design by Studio Othertypes, 2019)
Sad Money Toys (Catalogue-Zine, Design by Patrick Mariathasan, 2018)
Our Piece of Punk (Book, Co-Publisher, Ventil Verlag, 2018)
Kunst in der Börse (Catalogue, 2016)
Reeper Reeper II (Catalogue, 2014)
Bologna Children's Book Fair (Catalogue, 2012)
Press & Interviews
CRUSH at thelittlequeerreview 03/22
Staycation at KUBAPARIS 22
CYTE Magazin #8/21
Goldrausch Künstlerinnen 21
Und dann kam Punk 04/21
Heliumtalk 10/18
Joia Magazine 08/18
OX fanzine 07/18
PAGE Online 07/18
Neues Deutschland 03/18
deutschlandfunk 03/18
Gallery Affiliation
Galerie Laetitia Gorsy, Leipzig
