There are female artists whose work is instantly recognisable – not because it bears a trademark, but because it embodies a certain attitude. Sylvia Agnes Meister paints abstractly, but not in a detached manner. Her canvases convey a tension between what was intended to be said and what ultimately remains, a tension that is difficult to put into words. On 19 and 20 May 2026, she will be exhibiting her work for the first time as part of an IRMASWORLD pop-up at Sotheby’s on Odeonsplatz. This venue knows first-hand what it means to attribute value to an object.
We had a chat with her beforehand.
IRMA: Your works are being shown in a space that normally gives things a biography – auction lots, collector’s items. What happens to a picture when it hangs in such a context?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: A painting works because it enters into a dialogue with the people and things around it. In this joint pop-up, a new, additional and exciting interaction emerges, which I am very much looking forward to.
IRMA: Abstraction is often equated with freedom. But many abstract painters describe the process more as a distillation, as the omission of the superfluous. How would you describe your process?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: For me, colours have their own language. When painting, I don’t try to explain something, but rather to make a feeling visible through colours.
IRMA: How do you decide when a work is finished?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: A work is always part of my life. For me, it’s finished when the colours shine and it feels right.
IRMA: You’ve travelled the world extensively yet have always remained rooted in Zurich. What does the city give you – and what might it take away?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: Zurich is small yet international. I really like this blend of tranquillity, quality and openness to the world.
IRMA: Is there a material, a surface or a light that has surprised you recently?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: I’m fascinated by working with metal, particularly aluminium at the moment. I’d like to use this material to develop designer furniture in my own style.
IRMA: The evening of 19 May marks the start: conversations, drinks, encounters. How do you personally cope when your pictures suddenly have company?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: I’m delighted when people engage with my pictures and this leads to interesting encounters and conversations. My pictures are hand-painted and carry something personal within them. In my experience, this is still highly valued, especially in a world where so much is now digital or generated by AI.
IRMA: If you could give your younger self – the one who was yet to create her first serious work – a single piece of advice, what would it be?
SYLVIA AGNES MEISTER: “Always be yourself, show your feelings and follow your own path.” In my view, that is precisely what gives rise to true art.
Sylvia Agnes Meister will be exhibiting selected works on 19 & 20 May 2026 as part of an IRMASWORLD pop-up at Sotheby’s auction house on Odeonsplatz in Munich. The opening night will take place on 19 May.
