ILSE ABKA PRANDSTETTER

“her irrepressible curiosity is the driving force to constantly reinvent herself in experimenting with materials, techniques and forms…” wrote edith schlocker in the article about the exhibition “abandoned garment”, which was the last presentation in our rooms in maximilianstrasse. in our rooms in the old town we were able to present part II of the exhibition. and again the now 80-year-old artist showed completely new things.

in 1958, abka-prandstetter studied at the academy of fine arts with robin christian andersen and herbert boeckl, when she soon met the tyrolean painter and draughtsman peter prandstetter and moved to tyrol with him. she interrupted her studies until she was invited by max weiler to continue them in his class at the vienna academy. She graduated in 1970.

she learned weaving from a hand weaver and specialised in weaving tapestries based on painted watercolours. this is how she created the 36 sqm tapestry that can be found in the congress innsbruck. later she turned to oil/pigment painting. mosaics, wire objects and also room and light installations are among her areas of work.