Claudia Katharina Lüthi, known artistically as Abdelghafar (born 1967 in Zurich, Switzerland), is a Swiss visual artist whose work is rooted in figurative painting with a strong contemporary sensibility. She works primarily with oil paint, valuing its fluidity and the possibility of building layered surfaces that create depth and a subtle three-dimensional effect. Her paintings are created without preliminary sketches, allowing intuition and spontaneity to guide the process.

Abdelghafar’s visual language moves between realism, impressionism, and moments of expressionism, without striving for photographic imitation. Instead, she seeks to translate lived experience into painterly interpretation. Strong, vibrant colors play a central role in her work, reflecting her belief in resilience, optimism, and the idea that new paths always open, even in times of difficulty.

A recurring motif in her practice is the animal world—particularly horses. As a passionate rider, she brings a deep understanding of movement and presence into her equine paintings. Special attention is given to the eyes, which she considers the soul of the subject, animating the figure and creating an emotional connection with the viewer. Her aim is to evoke sensory experiences: the sound of hooves, the scent of wet forest wood, or the taste of sea air—moments where time seems to pause.

Alongside canvas, she has worked extensively with oil on velvet since 2006, a rare and demanding technique that requires precision and sensitivity due to the material’s absorbent and “living” surface. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has received numerous awards and recognitions.