Vanessa German — Biography, Exhibitions, Galleries & Auction Results

Black Madonna on constitution page, 2022

Mixed-media collage

Artsy Impact Auctions · Artsy

Printed copy of United States Constitution, acrylic, water color, gold leaf

Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation Benefit Auction · Artsy

envelope painting #74: everywhere i look i see g-d & she is in my eyes, 2018

Found object painting

the midnight alligator’s daughter, or, where we are and what we’ve been, will be no situation upon where we go and what we shall become. , 2025

Light! Light! Light! Gemstones: onyx, obsidian, black tourmaline, shungite, lapis, agate, Smokey quartz, amethyst, morganite,turquoise, turquoise dyed howlite, titanium dyed geodes, pearl. Found lamp, cut glass beads, wood, plaster, plaster gauze, a prayer for the softening of hands, a knowing of the origin songs of the Soul, a heated gaze in the face of meanness, blacked coke bottles, carved alligator, glass prisms, awake! Awake! Awake! The soft night, the awakened dawn, a dying away of old places, beaded glass trim, cardboard, recycling, silicone.

lover, lover, lover boi, 2025

Arm trans women, existence cannot be non-existence, get over it, love, love, love, wood, plaster, plaster gauze, bottle cap chain, forgiveness, clear quartz, cut glass, titanium dyed geodes, onyx, obsidian, shungite, Smokey quartz, beaded glass trim, the grief always, the opposite of self loathing, a Native American beaded hat from a trading post near what we now call, “the Grand Canyon.” Heat, starlight, the dance of all ages, kissing and fucking for the peace and joy of it all, anatomical heart model, mammy note pad body with original pencil, cut glass ring holder, quartz points from the land we now call, “Arkansas”, cowboy salt shaker, a snake for the bite and shrugging off of the passage of time.

Olney Gleason Benefit Auction · Artsy

I FOUND MYSELF AT THE MET AND I LOVED ME VERY MUCH: A SERIES OF ECSTATIC BLACK MADONNA PAINTINGS BY THE UNKNOWN AMERICAN PAINTER VANESSA GERMAN WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A KNOWN FAT, BLACK, QUEER SELF TAUGHT MAKER OF PRAYER DEVICES HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT AS ‘SCULPTURE’, YES, HER; SHE PAINTED THESE A LOOSE HALLELUJAH IN THE CANNON OF THE LORD., 2017

Whispers cheekily, “found MET maps…”, acrylic paint, hubris, the particular kind of self-doubt that lives inside of a black girl raised in 1980’s southern california— *that* sloshy jagged thing, …and, a dream!

Secci · Artsy

I love you in the house. Or, The Multidimensionality of Resilience, 2023

Blue jeans, blue genes, yarn, twine, wire, wood, foam, used stories, stories used up, the weight of it all — refracted as tho through a prism.

bring light in through the top of your head, 2025

Wood, plaster, ,foam, plaster gauze, sweet kisses, love, gold chain purse, rose quartz butterflies, the sound of horns honking out of the hotel window, cut glass, lucky feet in rose quartz from the window of the eye, have faith.

joy ritual # 1, 2025

Wood, plaster, plaster gauze, love, a tiny mirror, turquoise, the heat of making a new thing, beaded glass trim, carnelian, tiny mug that reads: forget me not. Blue glass bottle, jade, dyed howlite, cut glass, a way forward that does not require a gun..

For Sale 5

Tracey Morgan Gallery · Artsy

Who Will Tell You Your Story and How? (White Power Figure), 2023

Three children’s books, control, the spirit of benevolence as a misguided attempt at control, wood, paint, cloth, twine, beads and buttons and strands strung by the community of Topeka, grace, equanimity, the expansive presence of the immutable, hope, a common misidentification of the miracle

Tracey Morgan Gallery · Artsy

Who Will Tell You Your Story and How? (Red Power Figure), 2023

Three children’s books, control, the spirit of benevolence as a misguided attempt at control, wood, paint, cloth, twine, beads and buttons and strands strung by the community of Topeka, grace, equanimity, the expansive presence of the immutable, hope, a common misidentification of the miracle

Tracey Morgan Gallery · Artsy

Who Will Tell You Your Story and How? (Blue Power Figure), 2023

Three children’s books, control, the spirit of benevolence as a misguided attempt at control, wood, paint, cloth, twine, beads and buttons and strands strung by the community of Topeka, grace, equanimity, the expansive presence of the immutable, hope, a common misidentification of the miracle

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joy ritual #2, 2025

Wood, plaster, plaster gauze, cut glass, rhinestone trim, a love song for the creative soul, lapis, rose quartz, clear quartz, hope in the sound of one’s own hands making unified action, regret and grace and ciriculum, a solid knowing that we are all playing a game.

Ross-Sutton Gallery · Artsy

Naomi Osaka and The Divine Mother, 2026

Rose quartz, amethyst, gold leaf, glass flowers, jade, epoxy, wood, astroturf

price_check

Market10 auction results

Price data not available for this artist's auction results.

podcasts

Podcast Interviews3

podcasts No. 617: Holiday clips: vanessa german The Modern Art Notes Podcast · Aug 31, 2023

Episode No. 617 of The Modern Art Notes Podcast is a holiday clips episode featuring artist vanessa german. german is one of six artists featured in “Beyond Granite,” a series of installations on the National Mall in Was…

podcasts No. 570: vanessa german, Jacob Lawrence The Modern Art Notes Podcast · Oct 6, 2022

Episode No. 570 of The Modern Art Notes Podcast features artist vanessa german and curator Kimberli Gant. german is included in “Start Talking: Fischer/Shull Collection of Contemporary Art,” an exhibition of gifts to the…

podcasts Episode 92 – A Conversation with vanessa german Cerebral Women · Feb 2, 2022

Episode 92 features vanessa german. She was born in Milwaukee, WI and currently lives and works in Pittsburgh, PA. vanessa is a self-taught citizen artist working across sculpture, performance, communal rituals, immersiv…

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Current Exhibitions0

No current exhibitions found.

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Recent News20

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25 Art Shows Reckoning With the US at 250

Hyperallergic presents a guide to 25 art exhibitions and projects across the United States that reframe and challenge the story of the nation on the o…

exhibitionsJun 12, 2026

ROD BIGELOW with Joachim Pissarro & Jennifer Stockman

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, will open 114,000 square feet of new galleries, studios, and visitor spaces in June, …

exhibitionsJun 2, 2026

15 Artists Share the Best Advice They Got From Their Mother

Hyperallergic asked 15 artists to share the best advice they received from their mother or a maternal figure, in honor of Mother's Day. The article fe…

cultureMay 8, 2026

American Folk Art Museum Workers Picket Gala, Calling for Higher Wages

Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, represented by UAW Local 2110, picketed the museum's annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental in…

newsMay 7, 2026

How Sweden Built One of Europe’s Most Stable Art Markets

The article examines Stockholm's art scene and its role in building one of Europe's most stable art markets. It highlights Market Art Fair, the city's…

marketMay 6, 2026

Montclair Art Museum Announces Retirement of Longtime Chief Curator Dr. Gail Stavitsky

The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) has announced that Dr. Gail Stavitsky, its Chief Curator, will retire on July 1, 2026, after a tenure of more than 30 y…

peopleMay 4, 2026

Dataland, World's First A.I. Arts Museum, Will Open in June, and Other News.

Dataland, billed as the world's first museum dedicated to AI-generated art, will open June 20 at The Grand LA in downtown Los Angeles, founded by Refi…

newsApr 27, 2026

Pittsburgh’s new $31m Arts Landing combines public art with civic engagement

Pittsburgh's new $31 million public space, Arts Landing, opened on 17 April, just before the NFL Draft and the 59th Carnegie International. Developed …

exhibitionsApr 24, 2026

The Sky Lives in Us Still, Resistance and Imagination Take Flight.

Vanessa German has unveiled a major new installation at the Speed Art Museum titled '…do you remember when you were the sky?', marking the inaugural p…

exhibitionsApr 9, 2026

The Big Review | The Woman Question 1550-2025 ★★★★½

The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw has launched "The Woman Question 1550-2025," a massive survey featuring nearly 200 works by 140 women artists spann…

reviewMar 6, 2026

New and relaunched satellite fairs spread across Los Angeles during Frieze

A wave of new and relaunched satellite art fairs is debuting in Los Angeles to coincide with Frieze Los Angeles, offering lower-cost alternatives for …

marketFeb 24, 2026

frieze london 2025 big galleries report strong sales afternoon

Frieze London 2025 opened with strong VIP preview sales, as major galleries reported brisk business by early afternoon. Thaddaeus Ropac sold a Robert …

marketOct 15, 2025

v joy simmons collection tour baldwin hills home

V. Joy Simmons, a Los Angeles-based physician and longtime art collector, opened her Baldwin Hills home to ARTnews for a tour of her extensive collect…

cultureOct 9, 2025

Artists Jennifer Packer and Marie Watt receive $250,000 Heinz Awards

Artists Jennifer Packer and Marie Watt have been named winners of this year's Heinz Awards for the Arts, receiving an unrestricted cash prize of $250,…

peopleSep 16, 2025

20 Fall Art Excursions Outside New York City

This article is a guide to 20 fall art excursions outside New York City, highlighting exhibitions in Upstate New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and…

exhibitionsSep 10, 2025

Washington, D.C., Museums are Showcasing African American Art, Exhibitions Focus on Photography and the Black Arts Movement, Vivian Browne, Adam Pendleton & More

Museums across Washington, D.C., are currently presenting a robust slate of exhibitions focused on African American art, including major retrospective…

exhibitionsAug 31, 2025

Reclaiming Narratives: Rowan’s Art Gallery & Museum Announces 2025-2026 Exhibitions

Rowan University Art Gallery & Museum has announced its 2025-2026 exhibition season, featuring four solo shows by artists vanessa german, Qualeasha Wo…

exhibitionsAug 11, 2025

kasmin closes olney gleason opens

New York's Kasmin gallery is closing after 35 years, transitioning into a new venture called Olney Gleason, led by Nick Olney (Kasmin's president sinc…

newsAug 6, 2025

New York gallery Kasmin will close this autumn as leadership launches new venture, Olney Gleason

The Chelsea gallery Kasmin will close this autumn after 35 years of operation, transitioning into a new venture called Olney Gleason. The new gallery …

marketAug 6, 2025

New $31m art-filled park planned for downtown Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (PCT) will open a four-acre art-filled park called Arts Landing in 2026, part of a $600 million government plan to revit…

localAug 6, 2025

history

Past Exhibitions8

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#147 Kasmin Gallery

vanessa german: GUMBALL—there is absolutely no space between body and soul

vanessa german

509 West 27th Street

Apr 3, 2025 — May 10, 2025

vanessa german The Courage of Being Present

#5,057 Scott Miller Projects

vanessa german

Nov 8, 2024 — Nov 30, 2024

vanessa german: …please imagine all the things i cannot say…

Montclair Art Museum

Vanessa German

3 S Mountain Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042, USA

Feb 11, 2023 — Jun 25, 2023

Image February 11, 2023 - June 25, 2023 vanessa german: …please imagine all the things i cannot say… A large-scale, immersive, site-specific installation of ...

Reckoning: Grief and Light

Frick Art & Historical Center

Vanessa German

7227 Reynolds St, Pittsburgh, PA 15208, USA

Jan 1, 2023

Through June 30, 2023 Reckoning: Grief and Light Back by popular demand! A multisensory installation of sculpture by Artist-in-Residence Vanessa German explo...