Comics artist Barbara Yelin (b. 1977, Munich) is known for sensitive, atmospherically dense, drawn and painted graphic novels. She thinks politically and often addresses her themes in gripping portraits. This, her first major solo exhibition, features originals, independent works and illustrations.

In her first books, ‘Le Visiteur’ (2004) and ‘Le Retard’ (2006), which were initially published in France, she established her style: narratively powerful, visually nuanced. Her work often focuses on stories of women’s lives, embedded in well-researched, historically accurate contexts. In order to avoid clichés and to convey politically charged themes in new images, Yelin uses ambivalence and ruptures: Each of her albums is stylistically unique and the drawing technique always depends on the content. In ‘Gift’ (Poison), she portrayed a female serial killer executed in the early 19th century, while in ‘Irmina’, a young woman is faced with the opportunity to climb the social ladder under the Nazi regime.

Yelin recently adapted the biography and memoirs of Emmie Arbel, who survived three Nazi concentration camps as a child, into a graphic novel – a multi-layered and critical reflection on memory. The collaborative project ‘Wie geht es dir?’ (How are you doing?), which she co-initiated, will be published in autumn 2025. It addresses the topics of racism and anti-Semitism, and responds in a nuanced way to current events in the Middle East.

Yelin’s multi-award-winning oeuvre, translated into over 10 languages, includes graphic novels, web comics, comic strips, and illustrations for daily newspapers and magazines, as well as children’s books, and is regularly exhibited internationally. This, her first major solo exhibition, features originals, independent works, and illustrations for magazines and children’s books – an impressive panoramic view of an artistically mature storyteller.

Vernissage: 27.11.2026, 6:30pm

Press conference: 26.11.2026, 11 am

Curator: Anette Gehrig