Artist Info

 

Imke Sönnichsen is a contemporary visual artist and illustrator whose work lies at the intersection of visual narrative, surreal structures, and conceptual documentation. Her works have received numerous awards and have been published internationally.


Biography and Artistic Practice 
Born in 1970, she studied communication design with a focus on illustration at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. While she was still a student, she began an intensive, decades-long collaboration with leading publishers in Germany and abroad. Her illustrative work includes numerous picture books published internationally and translated many languages, some of which have been adapted for television (including *Das Sandmännchen*), animated, or staged as puppet shows. As well as book illustration, she also creates cover designs and hand lettering. She works using both traditional and digital methods.


After 25 years in illustration, her focus shifted increasingly towards conceptual fine art from 2022 onwards (supported, amongst other things, by an MKW grant). In her current series of works, she explores the deconstruction of reality, natural phenomena and systemic structures.
 

“I am interested in imperfection that lies beneath the surface. I seek out images that whisper rather than shout. In my studio, I develop questions and found material into multi-layered, serial works. Through the layering of paint, deeper layers of colour remain visible. Particularly in my current project ‘malfunction’, these layers deliberately disrupt the finished image.”
 

Solo Exhibitions:

• 2025 „Tiny Mysteries“, Galerie Triebwerk 8, Aachen
• 2023 „Wunderwesen“, Galerie Triebwerk 8, Aachen

Group Exhibitions:

• 2025 „Kunstvoll2025“, Galerie Triebwerk 8, Aachen, inkl Kunstroute Aachen
• 2025 „Usk - Dreiländerecktreffen" (Pop-Up) Internationales Zeitungsmuseum, Aachen
• 2025 „15.KunstHierHer", Nadelfabrik, Reichsweg 30, Aachen
• 2024 „Kunstvoll2024“, Galerie Triebwerk 8, Aachen, inkl. Kunstroute Aachen
• 2024 „Adventure24“, Galerie Triebwerk 8, Aachen
• 2024 „14.KunstHierHer", Nadelfabrik, Reichsweg 30, Aachen,
• 2023 „Adventure23“, Galerie Triebwerk 8, Aachen

Workshops:

• 2023 „Nature Journaling", Belgisches Grenzhaus, Kukuk, Aachen
• 2023 „Sketchbook & Illustration", Bleiberger Fabrik, Aachen

Scholarships and Grants:

• 2022 „Auf geht's!" Artist's Studio Grant NRW

 

• Cooperations: publications with leading publishers (such as Carlsen, Coppenrath, Gabriel, Jungbrunnen, Oetinger, Ravensburger, Rowohlt, Fischer/Sauerländer, Thienemann-Esslinger) 
• Awards: Austrian Federhasenpreis (1999), the Honour List of the Austrian Children’s and Young People’s Book Prize (2000), and a Commendation from the Stiftung Buchkunst (2000)
• Previous exhibitions: Exhibitions at venues including the Meiningen Museums (2009) and the Kulturforum Buxtehude (2013)