Acrylic on Canvas
70,8 x 110,2 x 3,9 in (180 x 280 x 10 cm)

Born in 1974, in Reykjavik (Iceland), Katrin Fridriks is a conceptual painter.

Painter of the abstract, she fuses the natural energies of her native Iceland with an explosive, however organic, abstract expressionism and subtle Japanese calligraphy signs, often filtered through conceptual installations. Through a wide range of works, Katrin Fridriks distils her questioning about our world, human life and the future. She explores among others themes such as the genetic code and classification through the “Gene&Ethics” series, the flux of information and the notion of “Awareness” in our technology-based time, or the natural resources expressing the consequences of human activities on Earth she calls “Mother nature”. Based on an endless exercise on the matter & technique, some of her series are constantly reworked, making her paintings evolve.

Through this artistic continuum, Katrin Fridriks’ recent works include perspective studies of her black&white series: “Gene&Ethics” and “Stendhal Syndrome” as well as of her “Crayons” & “Lollipop” series. On one hand, the architectural dimensions of her abstract paintings highlights Fridriks’ interest for large-scale works and compositions of painting, playing with the size, thickness and format of the canvases. On the other hand, her pictorial process brings her to the enlargement of her drippings, from swings to covering the whole canvas. Creating a zoom effect referring to the aesthetics of macro­photography, this is an innovative technical challenge to follow for the conceptual painter.

Internationally exhibited (London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles…), she has received high-profile grants from the Ministry of Culture, Higher Education & Research in Luxembourg in 2009, the French government for the Olympic Stadium of Nîmes in 2007, and among others the Goss-Michael Foundation for the MTV Re-define project in 2011, Ralph Lauren Foundation in 2010, the Biennial of Liverpool and the Centre of Icelandic Art in 2008…

Early 2014, Katrin will present a solo show for India Art Fair with Ltd gallery (FR), be part of a duo show at Art14 in London with Circle Culture gallery (DE) & later a solo show in the new space of the Berlin-based gallery.

Selected commissions & grants :
Goss-Michael Foundation / MTV “Re:define” project, de Pury - Dallas

First limited edition prints Pictures On Walls - London
Ralph Lauren Foundation “Art Stars” Charity Cancer Trust, de Pury - London
Land Rover International Campaign Award - Paris
Biennial of Liverpool “Made up risk boxes” - Liverpool
Trade Council of Iceland - Reykjavik
Ministry of Culture, Higher Education & Research - Luxembourg
French Government, Ministry of Health, Youth & Sports 80m² fresco “Red Sea” - Olympic Stadium of Nîmes

Selected exhibitions :
2014 India Art Fair, solo show, Ltd gallery - New Delhi
Art14, duo show, Circle Culture gallery - London
Solo show, Lazarides gallery - London
Solo show, Circle Culture gallery - Berlin

2013 “Potse68” Circle Culture gallery - Berlin
“Brutal” Lazarides gallery - London
Art Paris, Hélène Bailly gallery - Paris
Art13, solo show, Circle Culture gallery - London
India Art Fair, Ltd gallery - New Delhi

2012 Design Days Stilwerk design gallery - Dubaï
Prêt à Dîner Royal Academy - London

2011 Soho House, Circle Culture gallery - Berlin
Inauguration Vickydavid gallery - New York
Solo show “Leak of information” Circle Culture gallery - Berlin
Solo show “Mothernature” Pascal Janssens gallery - Ghent
The Border, Contemporary Art Zone, Pascal Janssens gallery - Ghent

2010 Inauguration Contemporary Art Center - Épinal
Volta 6 - Art Basel Circle Culture gallery - Basel

2009 Grand Palais, “Tag & Graff” - Paris
Grand Palais, salon du collectionneur Bailly Contemporain - Paris

2008 Center of Icelandic Art, SIM - Reykjavik

2007 Musée Palais Bénédictine solo show “Mangeurs d’Étoiles” - Fécamp

Publications & Press :

2011 - “Walls & Frames” (Gestalten)
2011 - “Leak of Information” (Circle Culture)
Art in America, Art Forum, Art+Auction, Beaux-Arts, Gazette Drouot, Kunsthart, Arte, Le Monde, Le Figaro, Private Curators, Dazed, Dedicate, Arrested Motion