Cornelia Schleime

Born in East Berlin in 1953, Schleime experienced the communist dictatorship of East Germany at its most oppressive. Her involvement in the Berlin punk scene made her a target for the Stasi, East Germany's intelligence organization, and after emigrating to the West in 1984, she lost possession of all of her previous works. Despite these obstacles, Schleime has made a name for herself in the contemporary art scene. Her expressive children's portraits and paintings of Pope John Paul II have earned her accolades, as have her unusual techniques. For Schleime, art is as much about process as product, and the artist often begins her paintings with scratching and scarring marks. Her use of coffee grounds, sand, glue and shellac creates a patina that imbues her work with a sense of antiquity.This collection features an interview in which the artist discusses her most recent work, 'Love Affairs', a section of colour plates that reproduce the cycle as well as earlier works. Private material from Schleime's personal archives and a brief biography are also included.