Room view with the painting Carnival Menagerie by Elke Distelrath above a dining table
Elke Distelrath, original paintings

Paintings for those who stay curious.

Expressive, surreal-symbolic paintings between figuration and abstraction. For collectors and spaces that want more than decoration.

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“I believe staying curious like a child is how we keep our souls alive. I paint for deep, open-minded people who like to question things.”
Elke Distelrath
Artist statement

Between figure, symbol and abstraction

My work moves between figuration, symbolism and abstraction. It combines expressive painting with surreal, psychologically charged visual spaces. Animals, beings and fragmented figures carry inner tension, playfulness, vulnerability and transformation.

I paint inner landscapes: curiosity, strangeness, connection, fear, humor and movement. Gestural lines, layered surfaces and a deliberately emotional use of color create a visual world that stays open to interpretation, projection and resonance.

Figure and abstractionPsychological tensionSurreal narrative spaceGestural brushworkEmotional color
Room view with the painting Fragile Balance by Elke Distelrath in a dining area
Fragile Balance, room view (visualization)
Available originals

Studio photographs

Dimensions: height × width

Straight, unstaged photographs of each canvas, for anyone who wants to see the work itself. Every piece is one of a kind.

Sea of Embers, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Sea of Embers

80 × 60 cm
Acrylic on canvas, 2026
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Nightwatch Gathering, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Nightwatch Gathering

120 × 120 cm
Acrylic on canvas, 2023
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Fragile Balance, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Fragile Balance

80 × 100 cm
Acrylic on cardboard, 2023
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Chaotic Bloom, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Chaotic Bloom

140 × 150 cm
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 2023
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Carnival Menagerie, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Carnival Menagerie

150 × 140 cm
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 2023
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Chromatic Gesture, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Chromatic Gesture

80 × 100 cm
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 2023
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Fractured Radiance, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Fractured Radiance

140 × 130 cm
Acrylic on canvas, 2023
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Abstract Fish Motion, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Abstract Fish Motion

20 × 20 cm
Acrylic on canvas, 2026
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Bird Under Voltage, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Bird Under Voltage

40 × 30 cm
Oil on cardboard, mounted on chipboard, 2016
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Between Sky and Burden, original painting by Elke Distelrath

Between Sky and Burden

130 × 170 cm
Acrylic on canvas, 2023
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If a painting stops you and you can’t quite say why, that’s usually the best reason to write to me.

For collectors

For people who feel deeply

You think a lot, feel a lot and look for paintings that can hold that. My work is honest, sometimes raw, and it leaves room for the inner child to run wild.

Ask me about availability, price and shipping.

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For galleries and curators

Available for exhibition

Elke Distelrath is a painter with a studio in Viersen, Germany. She studied painting at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences under Prof. Gia Edzgveradze. Her path led from textile design and art education to full-time painting.

Full CV, exhibition history and portfolio available on request.

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1986–1989
Apprenticeship in textile print designAtelier Stangenberg, Willich
1989–1991
Textile pattern designerSeidenweberei Jacobs & Wittenstein, Krefeld
1992–2000
Freelance designerfor design studios in Krefeld
2000–2007
Independent painting and drawing instructorCourses for children and adults, own artistic practice
2007–2011
Diploma in PaintingAlanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Alfter/Bonn, under Prof. Gia Edzgveradze
2007–2014
State examination, Art EducationAlanus University of Arts and Social Sciences
2007–2021
Art educatorSecondary schools, alongside independent studio practice
since 2021
Full-time painterStudio in Viersen, Germany
Portrait of the artist Elke Distelrath
About

Elke Distelrath

Viersen, Germany, born 1966 in Aachen

Elke Distelrath has painted for as long as she can remember. After training in textile and pattern design and many years as an art teacher, she has worked full-time in her own studio since 2021.

Her paintings are built in layers, with broad gestures and a deliberately emotional palette. The surfaces stay in motion rather than settle into a single, fixed image.

Contact

Let’s talk about the work.

For inquiries about available paintings, commissions or exhibitions, write to me directly.

atelier@elkedistelrath.de Instagram