Bernd Ribbeck

Bernd Ribbeck makes small-scale paintings on wood that recall the geometric forms of mandalas, stained glass, and other architectural ornaments. Using non-traditional materials like ballpoint pens and markers, as well as acrylic paint and varnish, Ribbeck combines the geometric hard-edge Modernist tradition with expressive mark making and subtractive processes like sanding, scraping, and staining. Ribbeck’s vibrant, layered color gives the paintings a remarkable sense of light and age—as if they are mysterious relics or icons from a bygone era.