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Inka Essenhigh's Monoprint Series at Pace Prints Chelsea Explores Twilight, Myth, and Timelessness

exhibition · 2026-04-22

From March 5 to April 16, 2011, Pace Prints Chelsea will host an exhibition featuring forty monoprints and fresh intaglio pieces by Inka Essenhigh. She uses a quick painting technique on steel plates, drawing from themes of nature, mythology, seasons, and theater. Essenhigh describes her approach as tapping into a shared subconscious, seeking a sacred quality rather than direct meanings. Her work often depicts natural landscapes like forests and oceans, alongside theatrical scenes, all set in twilight to create a sense of ambiguity. Critics have observed influences from 19th-century caricatures, Arabic miniatures, and artists like W. Heath Robinson and Sir Stanley Spencer. On March 29, 2011, Essenhigh will have a conversation with Alexi Worth at the New York Studio School.

Key facts

  • Inka Essenhigh's exhibition runs from March 5 to April 16, 2011 at Pace Prints Chelsea in New York City
  • The show features forty monoprints and new intaglio editions
  • Essenhigh switched from enamel to oil paint and now uses monoprint
  • Her work draws from nature, seasons, mythology, and theater
  • She describes her process as fast, creating images from an inner vision
  • Key motifs include natural environments and theatrical stages
  • Twilight lighting is used to create ambiguity and flatten forms
  • Essenhigh will appear in conversation with Alexi Worth on March 29, 2011 at the New York Studio School

Entities

Artists

  • Inka Essenhigh
  • W. Heath Robinson
  • Sir Stanley Spencer
  • Judy Garland
  • Ethel Merman
  • Alexi Worth

Institutions

  • Pace Prints Chelsea
  • New York Studio School
  • artcritical

Locations

  • New York City
  • United States
  • Manhattan
  • Bowery
  • 521 West 26th Street
  • 8 West 8 Street

Sources