Color has always been one of the most important tools in the work of artist Bettina Patermo. Her art explores questions about human existence, about our relationship to nature, to each other, and to the universe.

Figures appear in Patermo's work—grotesque, fragmentary, almost intangible. They interact, yet remain hidden, an invitation to the viewer to engage with them, to see themselves reflected. Humor is part of this encounter; it breaks the weight and makes the unexpected visible. In this way, spaces of resonance emerge from color, form, and meaning.

"For me, painting is a medium that makes the dynamic energy of life palpable, as well as its fundamental fragility. My canvases are stages of energy, broad, dynamic gestures, layers, and overpainting that seem almost like natural forces. At the same time, quiet, fragile moments repeatedly break through—like an inner landscape that is perceptible but not fully comprehensible."

Bettina Patermo studied under Gunther Damisch at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. The artist completed her studies in Hubert Schmalix's class in 2000.