ANYS REIMANN
HIGH NOON (Phyllis + Aristoteles), Mixed media collage, Oil on canvas, 2025, 180 x 120 cm, courtesy the artist

It is the portrait of humanity that Anys Reimann … draws: being human, humanity, physicality, identity and representation, feeling different and belonging. Melancholy, stigmatization, psychological and physical violence are transformed into emancipation, self-empowerment and strength. The story is one of independent character, finding one’s personality, and free thinking.

It is the great women who … welcome us. They meet us with a confident gaze and a strong pose. Their essence and expression are timeless. But who are these great new women whose presence almost takes our breath away? They are composed of collaged body parts of people and idols from past and present times. The body parts are carriers of meaning from individual experiences and form collective stories when brought together. They are self-confident women who refuse to be objectified. They turn our gaze back on us. We are watched by them. Not reproachfully, however, but with humor. And with a call for more diversity, authenticity, more emancipation, more understanding and respect for others. (Text: Stefanie Kreuzer in “Dark Star Backyard – Exhibition Catalog Anys Reimann, 2025”)

The title of the painting refers to “Aristoteles and Phyllis,” a German tale written by an unknown poet. It portrays the motif of the wise man who is seduced, outwitted, and exposed by a beautiful woman. It shows that the wise man cannot live up to his own ideals.