Leanne Picthall - Meaning So Well, Museum Franz Gertsch

We are thrilled to announce a solo exhibition of Leanne Picthall at the Museum Franz Gertsch in Burgdorf from March 21st to June 7th, 2026.

The young painter Leanne Picthall (*1999) from Western Switzerland is showing her most recent oils on canvas in the Cabinet of the Museum Franz Gertsch. This is her first solo exhibition in a museum.

The works shown in the Cabinet provide an insight into the artist’s perception of people and animals, of relationships – represented with motifs from her life and the lives of those close to her, her environment. A new group of works (2025/26) is based on a video in which she interacts with her dog while wearing make-up that mimics its coat pattern. She translated a selection of stills from this film into paintings. The exhibition also includes some older works (2023/24).

The central themes in Leanne Picthall’s current work explore what it means to be an artist, to perform – to represent something, to act – both on a stage and in everyday life. And yet, these works based on snapshots, zoomed in details, or selfies the artist captured with her smartphone maintain a sense of playful ease and are open to interpretation – an impression that is underscored by the restrained colour palette with its muted shades of black, white, light blue, and green.  

Leanne Picthall, I'll go over later, on my bike, 2026, oil on canvas, 113 x 85 cm
© Leanne Picthall