Facing constant repercussions from East Berlin officials, in the early 1970s he started to work under the pseudonym of A.R. Penck, after studying the works of the former geologist, Albrecht Penck. Although he was not allowed to display his work in West Berlin, Penck was able to smuggle his work across the wall for exhibitions, and worked closely with the West German artist Jörg Immendorff (German, 1945–2007), whose work also addressed social and political concerns of the time. Penck used discarded objects as the inspiration behind many of his sculptures in the 1960s, and additionally incorporated wood and bronze into his work in the 1980s. Penck was also a jazz musician, theorist, and innovative writer, constantly returning to the social themes addressed in his artistic works. Penck acquired an exit visa from East Germany in 1980, and since then has worked in Dublin, London, Düsseldorf, and Cologne.

2007
A.R. Penck: Der Begriff Modell, Neues Museum – Staatliches Museum für Kunst und Design, Nürnberg
A.R. Penck. Retrospektive, Kunsthalle zu Kiel
A.R. Penck, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt

2006
A.R. Penck, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York
Georg Baselitz, Jörg Immendorff, Markus Lüpertz, A.R. Penck, Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai
Beautiful Cynicism, Arario Beijing, Beijing

2005
A.R. Penck, Per Kirkeby, Markus Lüpertz, Gallery W52, New York (solo)
A.R. Penck, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (solo)
A.R. Penck: Neue Bilder, Galerie Michael Werner, Cologne (solo)

2004
A.R. Penck: Paintings from the Seventies, Michael Werner Gallery, New York (solo)
A.R. Penck, Patrick Painter Inc., Santa Monica (solo)
A.R. Penck: Constructions, Michael Werner Gallery, New York (solo)

2003
Wereldblik 1968-2002, Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Ostende.
A.R. Penck. Jenseits der Kriege. Bilder aus dem Jahr 2002, Galerie Michael Werner, Köln
A.R. Penck. Weltsicht 1968 – 2002, Museum Küppersmühle Sammlung Grothe, Duisburg

2002
Ralf Winkler. Frühe Arbeiten. Bilder und Zeichnungen aus einer Dresdener Privatsammlung, Galerie im Schloss Wiligrad, Kunstverein Wiligrad e.V., Lübstorf

1999
A.R. Penck. Bronzeskulpturen, Galerie Michael Werner, Köln

1997
A.R. Penck. German Darkness and Contemporary Symbol, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima

1995
A.R. Penck, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexiko-Stadt

1992
A.R. Penck. Standart-Modelle, Galerie Michael Werner, Köln

1988
Retrospective, Nationalgalerie Berlin, Kunsthaus Berlin, Germany & Zurich, Switzerland
Skulpturen und Zeichnungen, Kestner-Gesellschaft Hannover, Germany

1984
Brown's Hotel and Other Works, The Tate Gallery London, UK
Biennial, Venice, Italy

1982
45 Zeichnungen - Bewußt-seinschichten, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Germany

1981
Gemälde und Handzeichnungen, Kunsthalle Köln, Cologne, West Germany

1978
Museum Ludwig Cologne, West Germany

1972
Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland
Documenta 5, Kassel, Gemany

1968
Michael Werner Cologne, West Germany

1956
Dresden, East Germany