Katrin Fridriks
Encyclopedia
Katrin Fridriks, born in 1974, Reykjavík
(Iceland
), is a conceptual painter
.
and Germany
. After a couple of years spent in Paris
where she exhibited her first paintings at the age of 20, KF moved to the United States
. She currently lives and works between Paris and Luxembourg.
Through her hyperkinetic abstract paintings
, Fridriks fuses the natural energies of her native Iceland – fire, water, earth and air – with contemporary pop art
, graffiti
and calligraphic
references to create a unique visual universe.
Her passion for architecture inspired her to create conceptual installations still using canvas and paint. Beyond her resolutely modern pictorial expression, Katrin Fridriks is continuing her research into matter and colour with the avowed intent to place technique at the service of artistic expression.
Fridriks has previously received grant support from the Minister for Culture in Luxembourg as well as a high-profile commission from the French Government to create an 80 m² fresco for the Olympic Stadium of Nîmes in 2007. She also presented at the Goss-Michael Foundation for the MTV Red:Define project in 2011, at the Liverpool Biennial
in 2008 and has undertaken commercial commissions for premium global brands, such as Land Rover’s 60th anniversary event, Polo Jeans Co Ralph Lauren for the "Art Stars" project...
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
(Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
), is a conceptual painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Biography
Katrin grew up in LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After a couple of years spent in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where she exhibited her first paintings at the age of 20, KF moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She currently lives and works between Paris and Luxembourg.
Through her hyperkinetic abstract paintings
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
, Fridriks fuses the natural energies of her native Iceland – fire, water, earth and air – with contemporary pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
, graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and calligraphic
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
references to create a unique visual universe.
Her passion for architecture inspired her to create conceptual installations still using canvas and paint. Beyond her resolutely modern pictorial expression, Katrin Fridriks is continuing her research into matter and colour with the avowed intent to place technique at the service of artistic expression.
Fridriks has previously received grant support from the Minister for Culture in Luxembourg as well as a high-profile commission from the French Government to create an 80 m² fresco for the Olympic Stadium of Nîmes in 2007. She also presented at the Goss-Michael Foundation for the MTV Red:Define project in 2011, at the Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial is a British international festival of contemporary art held in Liverpool. The festival comprises the International Exhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial....
in 2008 and has undertaken commercial commissions for premium global brands, such as Land Rover’s 60th anniversary event, Polo Jeans Co Ralph Lauren for the "Art Stars" project...
Blue Period
- 2003 : « Deep » – acrylic on canvas – 80x80cm
- 2003 : « Dust of Galaxy » – photography – 100x100cm
- 2004 : « Energy Flow » – acrylic on sand rock, in situ – Islande
- 2004 : « Vatnajökulsarlon » – photography
- 2005 : « Kathedrale » – acrylic on canvas – 150x150cm
Red Period
- 2004 : « Equalizer » – installation, acrylic on canvas – 280x135x10cm
- 2005 : « Emotional Landscape » – installation (in situ) – Grund, Borganes Islande
- 2005/2006 : « Redlight » – acrylic on canvas – 150x150x10cm
- 2006/2007 : « Redlight District » – installation – 150x150x150cm
- 2007 : « Red Sea » – Fresco 80m² - Olympic Stadium of Nîmes
Black & White
- 2008 : « Gene&Ethics » – acrylic on canvas – 170x170x10cm
- 2008 : « Stendhal Syndrome » – acrylic on canvas – 170x170x10cm
- 2008 : « Molecular Spaces » – installation – 170x170x170cm
- 2010 : « Code DNAnd Munitions » – Installation – 170x170x170cm – Photo c print – Edition of 6
Polychrome
- 2010/2011 : « Crayons » (serie) – acrylic on canvas – 150x15x10cm / 180x20x10cm
- 2010/2011 : « Crayons sticks » (installation) – acrylic on resin, inox, pvc – (135 to 195)x30x30cm
More artworks
- 2005/2009 : « Monsters » (series) – acrylic on canvas – 80x80cm
- 2006 : « Barbie Q » (series) - photographies
- 2006/2007 : « Mangeurs d’étoiles » (serie) – acrylic on canvas – 150x150x10cm & 180x180x10cm
- 2007 : « Enveloppe-concept »
- 2008 : « Mother Nature » (series) – acrylic on canvas – 150x150x10cm
- 2008 : « Made up risk » (series)
- 2010/2011 : « Bells are ringing » (series) - acrylic on poly gravure paper
- 2010/2011 : "Awareness" (series) - acrylic on canvas - 100x100cm
- 2010/2011 : "Peace of cake" - acrylic on canvas - D30x6cm / D100x6cm
Commissions, Publications & Grants
- 2011
- « Art in America magazine » MTV Re:define by Future Tense – Goss-Michael Foundation – USA
- Artcurial auction « 100 briques » Hôtel Marcel Dassault – Paris
- Pierre Bergé auction « Empreintes urbaines » Palais d’Iéna – Paris
- Phillips de Pury auction, « MTV Staying Alive » Goss Michael Foundation – Dallas
- « Leak of Information » catalog edited by Circleculture Gallery – Berlin
- « Père & Mère » Yves Haddad edited by de la Martinière – France
- « Walls & Frames » Fine art from the streets edited by Gestalten – Germany
- 2010
- Commissioned by Ralph Lauren Foundation, « Art Stars », Charity Teenage Cancer Trust, Phillips de Pury – London
- 2009
- International Campaign Award « Land Rover 60 yrs » – Defender SVX 1/25 edition
- Salon Automobile, Artcurial, Fouquet’s – Paris
- Second International Conference on Transport & Energy Solutions – Reykjavik
- « Made up war series » – Reykjavik
- 2008
- Biennial of Liverpool « Made up risk boxes » Grants by the Trade Council of Iceland
- Center for Icelandic ArtCenter for Icelandic ArtThe CIA.IS - Center for Icelandic Art is the platform for Icelandic visual art activities. CIA.IS promotes Icelandic art by connecting the local visual art community with the international art network...
– Liverpool - Grants by Minister of Culture, Higher Education & Research: Catalog « Face » – Luxembourg
- 2007
- Commissioned by French government, Minister of Health, Youth & Sports for the New Olympic Stadium of Nîmes, Fresco « Red Sea » 80m², constructed by BouyguesBouyguesBouygues S.A. is a French industrial group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Bouygues is listed on Euronext Paris exchange and is a blue chip in the CAC 40 stock market index. The company was founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 has been led by his son Martin...
& Architect BVL. Opening Ceremony among Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Youth & Sports: Mr. François Fillon, Mrs. Roselyne Bachelot, Mr. Jean-Paul Fournier & Mr. Bouet. - Commissioned by Bacardi Martini: customizing « special metal box » Bénédictine, worldwide edition for the occasion of the solo show « Mangeurs d‘étoiles » with guest of honor: Ambassador of Iceland in FR, Museum Palais Bénédictine – Fécamp
- Commissioned by French government, Minister of Health, Youth & Sports for the New Olympic Stadium of Nîmes, Fresco « Red Sea » 80m², constructed by Bouygues
Exhibitions
- 2012
- Hong Kong art fair – Hong Kong
- Vicky David gallery solo show – New York
- Le Feuvre gallery solo show – Paris
- « Escape the golden cage » – Vienna
- 2011
- Le Feuvre gallery « Chrome » – Paris
- Soho House & Cornershop « Urban Artist » Circleculture gallery – Berlin
- Circleculture gallery « Leak of Information » solo show – Berlin
- Pascal Janssens gallery « Mothernature » solo show – Ghent
- Circleculture gallery « Urban Artist » – Hamburg
- Forum Grimaldi « 40 ans du pressionnisme » Collection ADGallizia – Monaco
- Circleculture gallery « Paperworks » – Berlin
- Goss-Michael Foundation / MTV « Re:define » curated by Future Tense – Dallas
- Inauguration VickyDavid gallery – New York
- Le Feuvre gallery « 1 wall, 1 painting » – Paris
- Pulse Art Fair – LeBasse gallery – Los Angeles
- LeBasse gallery « The Future is not what it used to be » – Los Angeles
- Salondergegenwart, Circleculture gallery – Hamburg
- Londonewcastle project space, Future Tense gallery – London
- The Border Contemporary art zone Lineart, solo show, Pascal Janssens gallery – Gent
- 2010
- Graffiti Auction – Pierre Bergé & ADGallizia, Palais de Tokyo – Paris
- Circleculture gallery – No such thing as good painting about nothing – Berlin
- AAF Fair – Future Tense gallery / original prints « Punk series » – London
- City of Barbizon – « Angélus » – Barbizon
- Inauguration New Contemporary Art Center – Épinal
- Future Tense gallery – London
- Volta 6– Art Basel, Circleculture gallery – Basel
- Circleculture gallery – Salon du Cercle de la Culture à Berlin – Berlin
- Marrakesh Art Fair, Venise Cadre – Marrakesh
- Moniker Art Fair – « Project Space » solo show, Circleculture gallery – London
- Le Feuvre gallery « Crayons » solo show – Paris
- The Border –Contemporary Art Zone Lineart solo show, Pascal Janssens gallery – Ghent
- Ralph Lauren Foundation « Art Stars » Phillips de Pury Auction House – London
- 2009
- « Tag & Graff » – Collection ADGallizia, Grand Palais – Paris
- Le Feuvre gallery – Summer exhibition – Paris
- CAL Salon 2009 – Luxembourg
- Bailly Contemporain – Salon du Collectionneur, Grand Palais – Paris
- Volchkova Gallery – Paris
- Artcurial / Forum Mondial Action Humanitaire « Street Art », Palais de Tokyo – Paris
- « The Show » by Jérémy Rocher – Paris
- 2008
- Center of Icelandic Art, SIM « Barbie-Q » – Reykjavik
- Oel-Früh gallery « KiloWatt » concept envelopes – Hamburg
- Biennial of Liverpool – Novas Contemporary Urban Centre « Nice08 » – Liverpool
- Vigdis Finnbogadottir Foundation – Reykjavik
- Chappe gallery « Stereographic @ play » curated David Letourneau – Paris
- Lost Horse gallery « Independence day » Handcuffs series – Reykjavik
- 2007
- eArts Festival « Digital Experience » curator for Visual Systems – Shanghai
- Museum Palais Bénédictine « Star Eaters » solo show – Fécamp
- Fresco « Red Sea » 80m2 Olympic Stadium of Nîmes
- Fortis Bank « Decoding Iceland », guest of honor: Stefàn Johannesson Ambassador of Iceland in Brussels – Luxembourg
- Ice07 Cultural & Art Festival – Liverpool
- Sequences Art Festival – Reykjavik
- 2006
- Espace à Vendre gallery « Monsters of Sound » – Nice
- CAL – salon 2006 Grand Theater of Luxembourg
- Rush Art gallery « Paris is burning » curated Rashaad Newsome – New York
- 2005
- Nuziq Music Festival « Visual Identity » – Nice
- Scope Fair « Silent Auction » – London
- Palais de Tokyo « Kathedrale » performance & Video Installation – Paris