Darja Eßer

Darja Eßer’s artistic process is based on a sensitive approach to paper as a material and deep understanding of drawing as a physical and spatial practice. Working with Kozo paper and ink, she creates two-dimensional works and hand-sewn paper sculptures. The paper detaches itself from its traditional role as a mere text or image carrier, transforming the practice of drawing into a sculptural gesture. At the heart of her work lies a phenomenological approach to materiality, space, body and the sense of touch. The sensory qualities of paper shape her artistic process and the way her works are being experienced by the viewer.

Born in 1987, Darja lives and works in Bonn, Germany. She studied art at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and at the Brussels Royal Academy of Fine Arts (drawing class) before completing her postgraduate studies (Meisterschülerstudium) with Prof. Monika Brandmeier in Dresden. She is an alumna of the Hans-Böckler-Foundation and artist in residence of the Fondation Boghossian, Villa Empain in Brussels (2023). Her works have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, most recently at Villa Zanders, Bergisch Gladbach, where her work is included in the museum's collection "Art Made of Paper".