Susanne Kühn

Prof. Susanne Kühn is a Professor of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg, Germany. She leads the Klasse für Freie Malerei (Class for Liberal Painting), focusing on contemporary painting practices as open artistic processes. Her work explores themes such as environmental conservation, surreal aesthetics, and the intersection of real and virtual worlds.

Education:

• 1990–1995: Diploma in Painting/Printmaking, Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig
• 1995–1996: DAAD Postgraduate Stipend, School of Visual Arts, New York
• 2001–2002: Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship

Research Interests: Kühn’s practice emphasizes painting as a dynamic medium that engages with socio-environmental issues, blending traditional techniques with innovative conceptual approaches. She investigates how painterly processes can reflect contemporary societal challenges through surreal, symbolic imagery.

Recent Exhibitions: Recent solo shows include Turtle Quest (Taipei, 2024) and Proliferation (Freiburg, 2022). Group exhibitions include Being a Woman Artist (Freiburg, 2023) and Homeland Universe (London, 2023).

Awards: Recipient of the Kulturpreis 2025 and Harvard Radcliffe Fellowships (2001–2002 and 2021). Her work is held in collections such as the Museum Frieder Burda and Harvard Art Museums.

Teaching: Kühn’s class emphasizes critical discourse, experimental techniques, and exhibition-based learning. Students create works addressing contemporary themes through collaborative and individual projects.