Ruth Campau (b. 1955) is known for creating ambitious large-scale paintings that redefine our sense of architecture. She works with abstract painting, where color, space and process are her materials. The artist draws the viewer in close to her characteristic, long, vertical strokes, which she applies with her signature brushwork. Campau lives and works in Copenhagen. Her work is represented in several private and public collections, including ARKEN – Museum of Contemporary Art, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, and Malmö Art Museum. In 2020, Campau received the lifelong honorary grant from the Danish Arts Foundation for her persistent and extensive work.
Biography
2000–2005 · Studies in Art History at the Open University, Copenhagen
2002 · Became a member of the Danish Artists’ Society
2006 · Became a member of the artist association Grønningen
2006–2009 · Art consultant and member of the advisory committee of UBST/The Danish University and Property Agency
2009–2010 · Art consultant for the Municipality of Guldborgsund’s new business center in Eskilstrup
2005–2011 · Member of the Danish Academy Council and Danish Artist’s Society’s Jury (chairman 2008–2011)
2011–2017 · Member of The Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts
2013–2017 · Member of The Academy Council
2017–2022 · Board member at Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen
2020– · Board member at the artist association Grønningen
2025– · Advisory Board member, Erhvervslivets Kulturpris
Public Collections
ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art, Ishøj, Denmark KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark Bornholm Art Museum, Gudhjem, Denmark Esbjerg Art Museum, Esbjerg, Denmark Randers Art Museum, Randers, Denmark Kastrupgaardsamlingen, Kastrup, Denmark MAPS Museum of Art in Public Space, Køge, Denmark Kupferstich-Kabinett, Die Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Germany Malmø Art Museum, Malmø, Sweden Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark The New Carlsberg Foundation, Denmark
Solo Exhibitions (selected)
2026
Colour on Brush in Space, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf, Germany
2022
ÉNTRE, Bow and Bend, Galerie Gebr. Lehmann, Dresden, Germany
Sunset Boulevard, Bornholm Art Museum, Denmark
2019
Fielding, Caspar David Friedrich Zentrum, Greifswald, Germany2019The Fall of Diamond Dust, Feldbusch Wiesner Rudolph Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2018
Big G, Kernel Gallery, Cáceres, Spain
2017
Chicago Mountains, Gether Contemporary, Copenhagen, Denmark
2016
Cuts ‘N Blobs, Petra Gut Contemporary, Zürich, Switzerland2016Imagine Gold, Feldbusch Wiesner Galerie, Berlin, Germany
2015
Interstellar, Gether Contemporary, Copenhagen, Denmark
Between the Past and the Coming, Overgaden, Institut for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
2014
Vertical, Marianne Friis Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2013
Open Studios, ISCP, New York, USA
2011
Pearl, PS Projectspace, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Velvet Mirror and Diamonds, Asbaek AAC Showroom, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010
Mit Museum, KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark
2007
Neighbourhood & Grass, Brænderigården, Viborg, Denmark
2006
The Well, Site-specific project for SALEN, Kunsthallen GL STRAND, Copenhagen, Denmark
2006
Curtain, Ostseebad Sellin, Rügen, Germany
2005
Galerie Hartwich Rügen, Germany
2004
SPACE BAR, Paintbox extensions, Copenhagen, Denmark
70.02 Read yourself, Traneudstilling, Gentofte Main Library, Denmark
Kan et Figentræ Bære Oliven? [Can a Fig Tree Bear forth the Olive?], Art project, Østerbro Provsti (Deanery), Copenhagen, Denmark
Altar Garden, Lundehus Church
Resurrection, Hans Egede’s Church
Every Color You Are, Frihavn’s Church
2001
For example, Broadway Pink – 150 cm wide, Autumn Exhibition, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
Yellow. Red. Cigar, Overgaden, Copenhagen, Denmark
2000
Window painting / Window space, Window Space, Copenhagen, Denmark
Spiritual Kitchen, PAINTBOX, Copenhagen, Denmark
Group Exhibitions (selected)
2025
Beloved Images, Sorø Art Museum, Sorø, Denmark
Grønningen, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark
PINK, m.simons gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Det maleriske i kobbertrykket, Kastrupgårdsamlingen, Kastrup, Denmark
YOU AND ME, Galerie Feldbusch Wiesner Rudolph FWR, Berlin, Germany
Gravity Rainbow, Galerie Nord, Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany
2024
NEW AGE – a CDF Tribute Show, Galerie Hartwich, Rügen, Germany
Abstract Sensibility, Gallery 2112, Copenhagen, Denmark
Selected, Gallery DGV, Svendborg, Denmark
2023
Grønningen, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark
SHIFT, Künstlerhaus Sootbürn, Hamburg
2022
Boundary River, Galleri DGV, Svendborg, Denmark (duo-show)
Jubilæum 5, Ringsted Galleriet, Denmark
2021
GO WEST, Kunsthal Kongegaarden, Korsør, Denmark
Grønningen, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark
2020
Interdimensionale II, Gammelgaard, Herlev, Denmark
Grønningen, Den Frie, Copenhagen, Denmark
Gallery DGV, Villa Tårnborg, Svendborg, Denmark
2019
Grønningen, Kunstforeningen Gl Strand, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017
Cool, Calm and Collected, AROS Aarhus Art Museum, Aarhus, Denmark
Neue Abstraktion, Deutcher Kunstlerbund, Berlin, Germany
REVISIT: EROTIK, Overgaden, Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
Grønningen, Den Frie, Copenhagen, Denmark
Hvad gør kunst på hospitaler, KØS Museum of Art in Public Spaces, Køge, Denmark
RNPG – COPENHAGEN, reductive non-objective private gallery, OK Corral, Copenhagen, Denmark
Downshifting, RedLine Art Center, Denver, USA
Idealer, Randers Art Museum, Denmark
Idealer, Esbjerg Art Museum, Denmark
2016
Idealer, Fuglsang Art Museum, Denmark
Fibbonacci Sequence, Francis Boeske Project, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015
Self Storage, Another Space, Copenhagen, Denmark
Qvartet, Esbjerg Art Museum, Esbjerg, Denmark
Eccentric Abstraction, Feldbuschwiesner Galerie, Berlin, Germany
Grønningen, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark
Edition Norm Issue Nº3 / 2014, Berlin, Germany
2014
Transparent – Between the Base and the Surface, Gallery Charlotte Fogh, Aarhus, Denmark
Pragmatic Painting, Gallery Hartwich, Rügen, Germany
CRYSTALLINE, Gallery DGV, Villa Tårnborg, Svendborg, Denmark
PS 1999-2014 / A 15 YEARS ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION, PS Projectspace, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2013
Baltic Sea Record 2013, Stadtgalerie Kiel, Germany
ZIEGEN ZEIGEN. An Audio Tour through Copenhagen by Karin Sander Kunsthallen Nikolaj, Copenhagen, Denmark
Form – Signage, Sophienholm, Lyngby, Denmark
Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus Waterfront, Denmark
Arkitektonisk Stuegang, Designmuseet Danmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
Giv os i dag…Når kunsten går i kirke, Museet for Religiøs Kunst, Lemvig, Denmark
2012
Giv os i dag…Når kunsten går i kirke, KØS Museum of Art in Public Spaces Køge, Denmark
Co Lab, The Barker Hangar, Los Angeles, USA
Shaped by Time, The National Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Robert Jacobsen up to date, Esbjerg Art Museum, Denmark
Landing, Teksas exhibition space, Græsted, Denmark
Ostrale, Dresden, Germany
Land of the seven moles, PS projectspace, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Grønningen, Docken, Copenhagen, Denmark
Arkitektonisk Stuegang, Kunstcentret Silkeborg Bad, Denmark
2011
Visitation, Galerie Hartwich, Sellin, Rügen, Germany
Crisp & Shout, Gallery KANT, Esbjerg, Denmark
2010
Preview, Tempelhof, Berlin, Germany
Grønningen, Docken Nordhavnen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Vråudstillingen, Kunstbygningen in Vrå, Denmark2010North, Galerie Hartwich, Sellin, Rügen, Germany
2008
ROUNDABOUT, Contemporary Exhibition Space, Berlin, Germany
Grønningen, Bornholm Art Museum, Denmark
2007
Grønningen, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
Young Blood, PS Projectspace, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2006
Now here and never again, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark
Grønningen, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
2005
SPLASH, BOX 2.0, Copenhagen, Denmark (with architect Mette Skjold (Denmark) and visual artist Gerold Miller (Germany)
Duschkonst, Galleri Leger, Malmö, Sweden
Standard, Århus Exhibition Space, Denmark
Grønningen, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
2004
Farbfilm 2004 – Abstraktion III, Kunstverein Schloss Plön & Schloss Plüschow, Niedenstein, Germany
2003
Horizontal Open, Galleri Tom Christoffersen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Vierzig mal, Kunstverein Rügen, Putbus, Germany
Norther Malerei, Galerie Hartwich, Sellin, Rügen, Germany
2001
Efterårsudstillingen, Autumn Exhibition, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
I:I, Herning Art Museum, Herning, Denmark
Norther Malerei, Galerie Hartwich, Sellin, Rügen, Germany
2000Picture This, North Exhibition Space, Copenhagen,
