For Anne Pflug, her relationship with the female figure began remarkably early : she has been drawing women since the age of three, a subject that continues to define her work today. Her contemporary mixed-media practice took its current form in recent years, when she developed a distinctive process on wooden panels combining a fresco-inspired technique, genuine gold leaf, and soft sculptural surfaces. Built gradually through numerous layers, her works bring materials and narratives together, creating pieces designed to carry both a particular atmosphere and a deeper story.
Building a Story, Layer by Layer
Her studies at HFBK Hamburg shaped her understanding of art as something that unfolds over time rather than emerging from a single moment. Her paintings follow this principle, developing over weeks or even months through a slow accumulation of layers. Working on wooden panels, she combines a fresco-inspired technique with genuine gold leaf and soft sculptural surfaces, allowing materials, textures, and narratives to gradually become part of the same composition.
Her background as a musician and performance artist also continues to influence this process. Rhythm, atmosphere, and emotional resonance are as important to her as texture and composition. Within these layered surfaces, female figures appear not as individual portraits but as symbolic presences, shaped to convey strength and positive energy. Pflug seeks to create an immediate feeling of warmth and well-being, while leaving space for the deeper narrative embedded within each work.
When Art Becomes Personal
Identity, connection, and personal storytelling are central to Anne Pflug’s practice, particularly in her commissioned works. For these pieces, she begins with a dialogue with the individual, family, or business, learning about their experiences, values, and aspirations. These elements are then gradually woven into the layers of the artwork. Rather than creating a traditional portrait, Pflug develops symbolic female figures that translate personal stories into a unique visual language.
This relationship between people, art, and their surroundings also runs through her 2026 series All is Energy. Based on the idea that individuals, their stories, their environment, and the energy between them are interconnected, the series presents figures as carriers of gratitude, abundance, and positive energy. For Pflug, an artwork does more than occupy a wall : it can contribute to the atmosphere of a space and develop a meaningful connection with the people who encounter it.
More Than an Object in a Space
Through the meeting of material, time, and the female figure, Anne Pflug creates works in which atmosphere and personal meaning develop layer by layer. Her paintings are conceived not simply as objects within a space, but as lasting expressions of identity, memory, and human connection.
There are two ways to connect with her practice : choosing an existing work that already resonates on a personal level, or commissioning a piece developed through dialogue around an individual, family, or business story. In both cases, the relationship between the artwork, its owner, and the space it inhabits remains central.
Discover more about the artist on her website and instagram.