Kohlhöfer-Hammesfahr, Erika, née Kohlhöfer

Graphic artist, painter

born: 07.01.1906 in Wiesbaden

died: 14.01.2002 in Wiesbaden

Kohlhöfer-Hammesfahr studied free painting at the Kunstgewerbeschule Wiesbaden, at the Meisterschule für das Kunsthandwerk in Berlin-Charlottenburg under Professor Harold Bengen and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1957/1958. From 1948 she was married to the painter and architect Felix Hammesfahr (known as Hamsvaar). Kohlhöfer-Hammesfahr undertook study trips to Italy, Spain, the USA and France. She was a founding member of the BBK Wiesbaden e.V. in 1955 and the gruppe real 1965.

Her work is characterized by realistic painting. From the 1960s onwards, she developed an independent style and turned to depicting people. This resulted in very personal portraits. She also devoted herself to the depiction of house facades and still lifes. Her pictures do not reflect mere naturalism, rather she lends them an enigmatic quality that allows her work to be classified as magical realism. From 1943 onwards, she took part in exhibitions at home and abroad. She took part in the Great Art Exhibition at the Haus der Kunst in Munich in 1963-71 and in group exhibitions in Darmstadt in 1965, Lucerne in 1972 and Hanover in 1978.

In 1996, she was awarded the silver citizens' medal of the city of Wiesbaden. After her death, the Wiesbadener Kunsthaus showed a retrospective of her work in 2002.