Helen Kohl (b. 1994, Germany) lives and works in Düsseldorf, Germany, but has spent an extensive part of her career studying and working in Oxford, UK. She holds a degree in Fine Art from Oxford Brookes University and has previously completed a state examination in teaching with a major in biology at Julius-Maximilians University in Würzburg. 

Kohl’s work transmutes from observation, to reflection, to object, to movement – often culminating in performance and installation. Her transdisciplinary practice explores the human form as both an autonomous being and an interconnected organ of various macro-organisms. Her focus lies in the liminal space between the self and the other, which often shifts, becomes porous, and leads not only to fluctuations in one’s own self and identity but also to accumulated fluctuations in the space around us and the changes in society we see on an everyday basis. Her work invites the viewer to rethink their perception of self and space, considering two intertwined aspects of the body – the gathering being that collects memories, knowledge, and experiences; and the porous funnels that manifest in the shape of our senses, enabling us to communicate and engage in dialogue with space and others. 

The artist’s focus not only speaks a language of form symbolism but is also heavily influenced by material history and qualities. Kohl works in a range of materials, from glass, porcelain, and natural rubber to liquids and the body itself.