Barbara Böhlke

Barbara, a painter in residence at SCHLESIEN – Earth Unearth in 2024, reflects on the inspiration she drew from the Schlesien landscape, with these words and painting:

“My favourite memories of the two weeks I spent on Farm Schlesien are the colour and light spectacles that I experienced with every sunrise and sunset. I was fascinated by the waves of soft light that washed over the immense vista of the barren hills of the Gramadoelas (middle of nowhere) leading the eyes towards the blue mountains on the far horizon with a sky ablaze in intense red, oranges and yellows.”

Barbara Böhlke is a Namibian artist renowned for her large-scale painterly works that capture the essence of her homeland. Drawing on memories and associations, she expresses themes of space, connection, and belonging through her art.

Barbara uses ochre pigments mined by the Ovahimba people in Northern Kunene, literally grounding her work in Namibian soil. To expand her color palette, she combines these natural pigments with ash, charcoal, and white acrylic paint.

She earned her Honours degree in Fine Arts (cum laude) from the University of Stellenbosch in 1988. With numerous solo exhibitions in Namibia and international group shows, her work is featured in public and private collections worldwide.