Masha Baur (b. 1984 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia) is a German artist whose monumental works on paper navigate the liminal space between memory and the subconscious.
Moving beyond traditional portraiture, Baur’s recent practice sees the human figure receding into the background—existing as a whisper or a fading memory within a non-linear timeline.
Working on a scale of up to two meters, Baur employs a rigorous, mixed-media technique. Restricting herself to a single pencil grade and a limited palette of oil sticks, she unlocks the medium’s potential through distinct erasing, smudging, and brush manipulation. Her process, balanced between structural planning and serendipity, is physically demanding and labor-intensive.
Her artistic language is shaped by the emotive rawness of Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, alongside the gestural freedom of Cy Twombly. Following her selection for the prestigious Royal Society of Portrait Painters (London, 2019), Baur dedicated several years to redefining her practice. Her latest 2025 series marks a profound evolution—inviting the viewer into an immersive, dream-like space where the past and present collide.
My work depicts a place with no linear timeline—a space filled with flawed memories, long-forgotten symbols, and the whispers of the subconscious. It is a realm of ‘wishful states’ where the ego dissolves, allowing me to explore the past and present without judgment.
The human figure, once central to my practice, now recedes into the background, becoming a ghostly presence or a fading memory. This withdrawal allows other symbols to surface. The tulip, for instance, drifts through the narrative (in and out of void) in states of withering and decay. It serves as a vessel for the unwanted and the hurting; by rendering its decomposition, I seek to discover an eerie aesthetic within its pain.
In contrast, I introduce soft, floating washes of color—symbolizing the ‘mellow self’ I was once afraid to show. These elements coexist in a state of volatility, constantly becoming, dying, and resurrecting.
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Occasional notes on new works and exhibitions — no more than a few times a year.