Petra Mattheis

Petra Mattheis (born 1967 in Moers) is a German Artist und Photographer. She became known for her artistic engagement with the topic menstruation.

Petra Mattheis
Petra Mattheis, Leipzig, Germany, 2017
Born	Moers, Germany
Nationality	German
Education	Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig

Biography

Mattheis studied communications design at the University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden and graduated in 1994 with a diploma. She studied Fine Arts at the Akademie für Bildende Künste Mainz from 2002 to 2006 and finished with a diploma as well. From 2007 bis 2009 she was a student in the master class of Joachim Blank at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig.^[1][2]

Works

With her website Become A Menstruator^[3] as well as with installations and prints, Mattheis investigates menstruation in an artistic, playful approach, questions cultural-historical developments and today's way of dealing with one's own body in our society.^[4] Each motif of the blood-red prints in her series BAM – Become a Menstruator corresponds to a fertile year in the life of the artist. While each print is a handmaid original, the size of the edition corresponds with the sum of the periods she had during this year. Thus, Mattheis not only addresses a taboo,^[5] her works also receive an autobiographical character.^[6]

Solo exhibitions

• 2006: Überwiegend Schwarz auf Weiß, Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden^[7]
• 2009: Pulsierender Pfirsich, Kuhturm, Leipzig^[8]
• 2011: Hinter den Worten, Gallery Queen Anne, Tapetenwerk, Leipzig^[9][10]
• 2015: Arts and Crafts Week at Panty Camp, Gallery The Grass is Greener, Leipzig^[11][12]
• 2017: Riding the Red Tide, Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig^[13]
• 2018: Become a Menstruator Booth, Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig^[14]
• 2019: Shark Weeks, Atelierfrankfurt, Frankfurt^[15]
• 2022: Wantalon App, Parcours #zeitzseeing ^[16]
• 2023: Am Fluß, Kalktor, Zeitz^[17]

Selected group exhibitions

• 2004: Zwischen, Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, with Ilka Meyer^[18]
• 2011: East of Fresno, group exhibition for contemporary art, The Hatchery Art Space, Badger, California^[19]
• 2012: Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen, Bellevuesaal with Klaus Lomnitzer, Wiesbaden^[20]

Awards and scholarships

• 2006: Förderstipendium der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• 2007: Preis der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• 2016: Project grant from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate^[21]
• 2021: Denkzeit-Stipendium, Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen
• 2022: Modul C, BBK Innovative Kunstprojekte Projektförderung ^[22]
• 2022: Neustart Kultur, Stipendium
• 2022: Work grant, Stiftung Kunstfonds^[23]
• 2023: Award for "Gespräche über Kohle" (Conversations about coal) ^[24]
• 2023: Project funding for Parcour "Schatten" (Zeitz) of the Wantalon App, Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt ^[25]

Publications

• Nassauischer Kunstverein e.V.: Petra Mattheis und Ilka Meyer. Catalog of the exhibition Zwischen – Petra Mattheis, Ilka Meyer, 9 May to 13 June and 29 June to 11 July 2004; Part of the exhibition series Perspektiven der Zukunft. With contributions by Christian Rabanus, Botho Strauß and Ilka Meyer. NKV, Wiesbaden 2004
• Mithu Sanyal: Vulva, Die Enthüllung des unsichtbaren Geschlechts, Verlag Klaus Wagenbach, 2017, S. 202–203, S. 210
• Barbara Streidl: feminismus, Reclam-Verlag, 2019, S. 12–13
• Mithu Sanyal: Identitti, consonni Verlag, Spanien, 2023, Titelcover
• MDR Documentary by Maksym Melnyk „East“: Accompanying the development of „Am Fluß“, Zeitz 2023