KATHARINA REYNHOUDT — SURREAL OIL PAINTER & MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST IN ZURICH
I work primarily in oil painting, alongside installations, photography and mixed-media works. More recently, my painting practice has focused increasingly on still life and surreal imagery. My work begins with observation — everyday objects, people, situations and the systems and details that quietly shape how we live.
As a curious observer, I tend to notice what is easily overlooked: a strange object, an arbitrary rule, a temporary arrangement, a sign, a barrier, a detail that seems insignificant at first. I am interested in what happens when these things are taken out of their usual context and looked at again.
In my work, I shift, isolate and rearrange familiar elements until their meaning becomes less certain. Something ordinary can suddenly feel slightly strange, humorous or unsettling. I am drawn to this point where recognition starts to slip and a familiar object or situation begins to suggest something else.
The same curiosity leads me to borders, regulations, notices, bureaucracy and other structures that organise everyday life. These systems can appear dull or almost invisible, yet over time they accumulate, become normal and begin to define the spaces we move through and the way we behave within them.
Whether through painting, installation or another medium, I am interested in these small shifts — moments where the familiar changes just enough to make us look again.
THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
What defines Katharina Reynhoudt’s artistic practice?
My work often begins with close observation. I am interested in things, situations and details that are easily overlooked or initially appear completely ordinary. I take them out of their familiar context, shift them and allow new, sometimes slightly strange or ambiguous situations to emerge. Painting is at the centre of my practice, alongside installation, photography and mixed media.
Why work with oil paint?
I like the juxtaposition between such a traditional medium and the very contemporary subjects I bring into it. Oil painting carries a long history of still life — meals, flowers, household objects and personal possessions — and I enjoy placing present-day objects, tensions and situations within that tradition.
I also like the slowness of the medium. A painting can develop over weeks or months, with layers taking their own time to dry and the work continuing to change as it builds. That gives me room to move things around, rework areas and adjust transitions rather than having to make every decision immediately.
And there is a very practical reason: acrylic simply dries too quickly for me. I make a coffee, come back — and it already feels dry.
What kind of art does Katharina Reynhoudt make?
I work primarily in oil painting. In recent years, still life and surreal imagery have become increasingly important within my painting practice. I also create installations and interactive works using electronics, Arduino and other technologies, as well as photography and mixed-media works.
What is Katharina Reynhoudt’s work about?
I am interested in the overlooked parts of everyday life — objects, small disruptions, rules, boundaries, systems and seemingly insignificant details. I often take familiar things out of their usual context and shift them until a new reading begins to emerge. I am particularly interested in that moment between recognition and uncertainty.
Are Katharina Reynhoudt’s paintings available?
Yes. Selected original works are available — and quite ready for a new wall. For information about availability and prices, please get in touch.
Can I commission a painting from Katharina Reynhoudt?
Yes. I have created personal still lifes from objects chosen for their particular meaning — gifts, inherited pieces and things connected to shared memories. I bring them together in a new composition, creating a highly personal painting that carries those people, stories and moments with it.