# Petra Mattheis

Petra Mattheis (born 1967 in Moers) is a German Artist und Photographer. She became known for her artistic engagement with the topic menstruation.

## Biography

Mattheis studied communications design at the University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden and graduated in 1994 with a diploma. She studied Fine Arts at the Akademie für Bildende Künste Mainz from 2002 to 2006 and finished with a diploma as well. From 2007 bis 2009 she was a student in the master class of Joachim Blank at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig.

## Works

With her website Become A Menstruator as well as with installations and prints, Mattheis investigates menstruation in an artistic, playful approach, questions cultural-historical developments and today's way of dealing with one's own body in our society. Each motif of the blood-red prints in her series BAM – Become a Menstruator corresponds to a fertile year in the life of the artist. While each print is a handmaid original, the size of the edition corresponds with the sum of the periods she had during this year. Thus, Mattheis not only addresses a taboo, her works also receive an autobiographical character.

## Solo exhibitions

* 2006: Überwiegend Schwarz auf Weiß, Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden
* 2009: Pulsierender Pfirsich, Kuhturm, Leipzig
* 2011: Hinter den Worten, Gallery Queen Anne, Tapetenwerk, Leipzig
* 2015: Arts and Crafts Week at Panty Camp, Gallery The Grass is Greener, Leipzig
* 2017: Riding the Red Tide, Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
* 2018: Become a Menstruator Booth, Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
* 2019: Shark Weeks, Atelierfrankfurt, Frankfurt
* 2022: Wantalon App, Parcours #zeitzseeing
* 2023: Am Fluß, Kalktor, Zeitz

## Selected group exhibitions

* 2004: Zwischen, Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden, with Ilka Meyer
* 2011: East of Fresno, group exhibition for contemporary art, The Hatchery Art Space, Badger, California
* 2012: Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen, Bellevuesaal with Klaus Lomnitzer, Wiesbaden

## Awards and scholarships

* 2006: Förderstipendium der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
* 2007: Preis der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
* 2016: Project grant from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
* 2021: Denkzeit-Stipendium, Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen
* 2022: Modul C, BBK Innovative Kunstprojekte Projektförderung
* 2022: Neustart Kultur, Stipendium
* 2022: Work grant, Stiftung Kunstfonds
* 2023: Award for "Gespräche über Kohle" (Conversations about coal)
* 2023: Project funding for Parcour "Schatten" (Zeitz) of the Wantalon App, Kunststiftung Sachsen-Anhalt

## Publications

* Nassauischer Kunstverein e.V.: Petra Mattheis und Ilka Meyer. Catalog of the exhibition Zwischen – Petra Mattheis, Ilka Meyer, 9 May to 13 June and 29 June to 11 July 2004; Part of the exhibition series Perspektiven der Zukunft. With contributions by Christian Rabanus, Botho Strauß and Ilka Meyer. NKV, Wiesbaden 2004
* Mithu Sanyal: Vulva, Die Enthüllung des unsichtbaren Geschlechts, Verlag Klaus Wagenbach, 2017, S. 202–203, S. 210
* Barbara Streidl: feminismus, Reclam-Verlag, 2019, S. 12–13
* Mithu Sanyal: Identitti, consonni Verlag, Spanien, 2023, Titelcover
* MDR Documentary by Maksym Melnyk „East“: Accompanying the development of „Am Fluß“, Zeitz 2023