Arbeitsbesuch Marita Kühn-Leihbecher

Book (2019)

Small group viewing an abstract artwork on a gallery wall while one person points at details
Person leafing through a large book or portfolio with black-and-white photographs in an exhibition setting
Open art book showing a red-toned collage on the right page
Open book on a wooden table lit by sunlight, with a small pot casting a shadow across the pages
Museum display case with a large black-and-white photo, text panels, and small objects inside

Marita Kühn-Leihbecher is a renowned graphic artist known for her skills in the rarely used technique of graphic paper making. A special exhibition at the Museum Reichenfels-Hohenleuben and the accompanying illustrated book Arbeitsbesuch: Marita Kühn-Leihbecher were created to mark her 75th birthday and pay tribute to her work.

The special exhibition and illustrated book are attempts to thank Marita Kühn-Leihbecher for her decades-long commitment to art and culture. She has worked tirelessly to preserve and develop culture as a source and foundation of individual and social identity.

The Illustrated Book

The illustrated book is a testimony to her artistic work and contains photographs by the Erfurt photographer Uwe Steinbrück, who documented the process of creating a hand-cast paper collage in the summer of 2018.

I had the privilege of designing the bound work.

Marita Kühn-Leihbecher’s Artwork

Kühn-Leihbecher has mastered the technique of graphic paper making and creates works in which she varies light, line and surface. Her works are not only artistic representations, but also an expression of her thoughts and ideas. Her works, which she refers to as hand-cast paper collages, vary in color in countless nuances and represent a magmatic embodiment of form and color.

Reflecting on her artistic journey and development, she emphasized that her hand-cast papers are the result of various experiments and the search for new forms of expression, and that harmony and clarity in her art are crucial to her.

Influence and Inspiration

Marita Kühn-Leihbecher is closely associated with Mildenfurth Abbey, where she has been artistically active with her husband, the sculptor Volkmar Kühn, since 1990. This connection is visible in her artistic work as well as in her voluntary work. Since 1992, she has chaired the Art and Culture Committee of Mildenfurth Abbey and has often put her art on hold in favor of this voluntary work.

All Works