Gallery in the castle hotel

"Water, Wind and Waves" – Watercolors by Yana Wilhelm

Exhibition: August 15 to October 1, 2026

With the exhibition "Water, Wind and Waves," the Blankenburg Castle Hotel presents the captivating watercolors of Yana Wilhelm. Her works capture the lightness of the sky and clouds, the interplay of light on the water, and the serene beauty of boats and coastal landscapes. With great precision and a refined sense of color, she creates paintings full of tranquility, depth, and movement.

Yana Wilhelm, born in 1984 in Kremenchuk on the Dnieper River, discovered her passion for water and painting at an early age. After studying German literature, she moved to Germany, where she now works as a social worker and art educator. Alongside this, she continuously developed and perfected her watercolor technique by studying international masters of watercolor art.

She finds inspiration on trips to Lake Garda and the Italian and French Mediterranean coasts. There, she creates impressive motifs in which water, light, and landscape combine to form harmonious compositions. Yana Wilhelm has been a member of the German Watercolor Society since 2023 and exhibits her work regularly throughout Germany.

The exhibition can be seen daily in the gallery of the Blankenburg Castle Hotel until October 1, 2026.

"Finally, a vacation!"

With "Finally a Vacation," the Blankenburg Castle Hotel presented the diverse works of Moritz Jason Wippermann. His works range from detailed watercolors and expressive linocuts to digital landscapes and experimental visual worlds.

What they all have in common is a keen sense of atmosphere, movement, and the special moment. Born in Halle (Saale) in 1991, the artist studied communication design in Wismar. During a semester abroad in Havana, he developed his distinctive style: precise ink drawings combined with vibrant watercolors. The result is lively cityscapes, landscapes, and everyday scenes full of character and lightness.

His work is also influenced by travels through Scotland, as well as his connection to Halle and his current adopted home in Lower Saxony. In addition to classical techniques, Wippermann has also dedicated himself to digital painting on the iPad for several years, creating imaginative compositions that blend dream worlds with observations of nature.

“Play of Colors” – Paintings and Collages

With her exhibition "Playing with Colors," Elfi Nitze brought vibrant energy and international influences to the gallery of the Blankenburg Castle Hotel. Her works move between painting and collage, between abstraction and emotional imagery. Colors meet glossy lacquers, gilded metals, fabrics, and various papers, creating multi-layered compositions with powerful expressiveness.

Elfi Nitze, born in Schönebeck in 1982, lived and studied in São Paulo for several years. She completed her studies in fine arts at the renowned University of Fine Arts, experimenting with a wide variety of materials and techniques. She remained in Brazil for eight years, deeply influenced by the country's cultural diversity, warmth, and vibrant colors. Today, she lives and works in Saxony-Anhalt. Her work features organic forms that depict nature less than they create their own universes – a play of movement, depth, and emotion.

“A breath of fresh air” 

With the exhibition "Fresh Wind," the Blankenburg Castle Hotel showcased the works of Christine Metz, an artist who translates color and atmosphere into multifaceted pictorial worlds. Her acrylic paintings emerge from an intuitive process, driven by floral forms, suggested figures, and a palette that creates space—for tranquility, lightness, and inner resonance.

Christine Metz, born in Güstrow in 1966, came into contact with art at an early age. The works of Ernst Barlach and her encounters with the painter Alexander Hässner left a lasting impression. Her studies in art education later led her to northern Germany – after periods in Erfurt, Hamburg, and Rostock.

It wasn't until 2017 that she began to dedicate herself fully to painting. Since then, she has regularly exhibited her work – most recently at Uetersen Town Hall with a much-acclaimed spatial installation on the town's history.

"Light, line, glaze" – watercolor art

With Rolf Zimmermann (1938–2016), the Blankenburg Castle Hotel dedicated an exhibition to an artist who created luminous watercolors of great precision using his extraordinary glazing technique. His works combine delicate graphic drawing with transparent color, inspired by travels to Morocco, Spain, Italy, and beyond.

After studying graphic design in Leipzig under Werner Tübke and Wolfgang Mattheuer, Zimmermann worked for many years as a successful commercial artist. The fall of the Berlin Wall brought about a change, but from this crisis emerged a new artistic path: his light-filled watercolors, whose unique technique remains unparalleled to this day.

"Dance – Animal – Expression" 

The Schlosshotel Blankenburg presented the work of Stefanie Gendera, a versatile artist whose art spans nature conservation, travel photography, and portraiture. Her exhibition, "Dance – Animal – Expression," showcased striking animal motifs from Africa, powerful portraits of women, and expressive snapshots of dance – sometimes serene and powerful in black and white, sometimes vibrantly colorful in classic oil paintings. Born in 1981 in the Hohen Börde region, Gendera studied landscape planning and nature project management before working for many years with environmental and nature conservation organizations – including in Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Jamaica. Her artistic development was always intertwined with these travels: sketches, wildlife observations, and cultural impressions flowed directly into her paintings. For several years now, she has dedicated herself to large-format oil portraits, with a particular focus on people dancing. Her works are vibrant, clearly composed, and full of expressiveness. One of the exhibition's highlights was "Eve," a painting that captures the vibrant atmosphere of a Caribbean carnival.

“Traveling with brushes and paints – watercolors”

In her exhibition "Traveling with Brush and Paint," Gabriele Krüger presented a diverse selection of watercolors, oil paintings, and acrylics. Her works transport viewers to stormy coasts, tranquil forests, and bustling cityscapes, demonstrating a keen sense of atmosphere, light, and movement. Born in Wernigerode in 1950, the artist worked for many years as a structural engineer in steel construction before dedicating herself entirely to painting in 2011. She developed her distinctive style through study trips and participation in urban sketching groups. As a member of the German Watercolor Society and the International Watercolor Society, she also maintains an international network. Ancient trees, dynamic seascapes, and scenes from urban life are among her preferred subjects. Fashion also plays a significant role in her work—three of the exhibited paintings focus on elegant accessories such as hats and scarves, inspired by her earlier passion for sewing.

"LIGHT · COLOR · SPACE" – Painting

Under the title "Light – Color – Space," artist Elvira Franz presented meticulously crafted oil paintings that impressed with their finely nuanced color fields and spatial depth. These abstract works were complemented by Romanesque motifs – from free compositions to clear depictions of Romanesque church interiors, inspired by the architectural monuments in her home state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Elvira Franz was born in Bad Blankenburg, studied design at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle, and has lived in Quedlinburg with her husband, the artist Ekkehard Franz, since 2007. There, in their "Galerie Blauer Stern" (Blue Star Gallery), they exhibit works by a wide variety of artists every year.

Colorful works

In her exhibition, artist Rieke Schmieder presented vibrant works brimming with joie de vivre: portraits, dancing women, colorful compositions, and sculptural images that resonate like music. Her "Violin Angel," in which painting and sculpture merge seamlessly, is particularly impressive.

Rieke Schmieder, born in 1967, grew up in Dresden. After training in woodworking, her path led her via the Black Forest and Worms to the wider world. As a tour guide, she fell in love with Italy – there, the Florentine artist Alfio Rapisardi discovered her talent and mentored her for two years. Exhibitions in Italy and Berlin followed.

She has lived and worked in Jerichow since 1998. In 2006, she opened her own gallery in Tangermünde. Today, she is a freelance artist, leading painting courses, workshops, and art trips to Tuscany. She is also in demand as a caricature artist for parties and events. Her works can be seen in public institutions and hotels, and she has illustrated several books.

Learn more about the artist…

"Big and small"
Elena Kiseleva, born in 1958 in Gatchina near St. Petersburg, showed early talent and was inspired by masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Peter Paul Rubens, and Rembrandt. After studying painting, she taught art and dedicated herself to portraiture. Since 1992, she has traveled the world, exhibited internationally, and received awards, including the Till Eulenspiegel Prize for her bookplate art. For ten years, she worked at the UNESCO Artists' House in Austria, where she created the series of paintings "Golden Land." Three works from this series are on display in the gallery of the castle hotel.

Since marrying a German art lover, Elena has lived in Wittenberg, the city of Luther. During the Corona pandemic, she developed the series "Virtual Herbarium," in which she combines flowers with elements of classical paintings – also part of her exhibition. Besides portraits, she is intensively involved with the theme of "man and woman," which is reflected in her paintings and etchings.

Bookplates – Art in Books
Bookplates are small, printed works of art that are pasted into books to identify their owners. Lovers of valuable books especially appreciate these artistic tokens. Bookplate societies promote this tradition through exhibitions and events that bring artists and collectors together.

Her works could be admired in the gallery at the castle hotel from February 1st to April 3rd, 2025.

At this exhibition in our gallery, nine artists from Blankenburg and Wernigerode showed their works.

Rosemarie Hoffmann displayed two fabric appliqués, while landscape paintings were exhibited by Jörg Lubinetzki – a dentist who also paints – Wolfgang Feltin, and Frank Täubner. Wolfgang Feltin, a trained porcelain and glass painter, is certainly known to many for his workshop and his very precisely painted pictures at Burgstraße 6 in Wernigerode.

Frank Täubner had already exhibited here in February and March 2024; now he showed three new paintings in the Green Salon. The three graphic artists from Wernigerode, Sabine Riemenschneider, Melanie Kuna-Drechsler, and Dorit Goedecke, also participated. Stephan Klaube, a theatrical painter, exhibited his large-format, playful paintings. New to the exhibition was Kerstin Müller-Schulz, a design engineer from Blankenburg, who has been intensively involved with painting for five years and delighted us with appealing acrylic paintings of flowers and people.

Born in Nordhausen in 1960, Jürgen Rennebach still lives and works in his hometown. After training as an advertising designer, he studied stage and costume design at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts from 1987 to 1992.

Following this, he dedicated himself to designing stage sets in various cities, including Bochum, Halle, Schwerin, Gera, and Nordhausen. Alongside his work as an exhibition designer and creator of architectural models, painting and drawing remained a constant in his life.

His works are characterized by exceptionally intense colors and unusual perspectives. Over the years, he developed a special technique using acrylic paint on cardboard, preferably in the 55 x 75 cm format.

The subjects of his paintings are diverse: they range from landscapes from his immediate surroundings to impressions from his travels to France, Italy, Spain, and other countries. He has directed the Tobacco Warehouse Museum in Nordhausen since 2006. 

Our gallery in the castle hotel kicked off at the end of 2023 with the talented artist Wolfgang Lange from Magdeburg.