Kirstin Birk PGE- our judge for the Mixed Media Challenge 2026

From 1974 to 1989, Kerstin Birk was a member of the painting circle at the 'Joliot Curie' clubhouse in Riesa, where she studied painting and drawing under the guidance of well-known artists from Riesa and Leipzig. From 1978 to 1980, she followed an apprenticeship as a technical draftsman.

Since 1995, she has been a member of the art association 'Riesa Kreatives Centrum e.V.' where she has the head of the painting and graphics group.

From 2001 to 2003, Kerstin followed a distance learning course in painting and drawing at the Axel Anderson Academy in Hamburg.

Since 2007, she has joined annual art workshops abroad in France, England, Italy, and Finland, among others with Barry Watkin, Janet Whittle, Wendy Jelbert, Terry Harrison, Fiona Peart, Karen Margulis, and David Webb.

Since 1985, Kerstin has been showing her work regionally in solo and group exhibitions and in Wexford/Ireland since 2018 during their Art in the Open Festival.

Kerstin is a Signature Member of the Pastelguild of Europe and has been a board member for many years.