"Bess Frimodig is a traveler, a wanderer of the world of different cultures, religions and languages. Her early dislocation from her home country, Sweden, to study printmaking in Japan was determinant in opening a window to Eastern thought, printmaking and poetry. This is filtered in her diaries, poems and etchings.
Her obsessive nature and persistent search for an intimate emotional and aesthetic experience often times has taken her in her travels the shape of spontaneous, on-the-run notebooks of writings and etchings, only to at still times transform the material into a process of painfully slow printmaking and densely collaged books combined with
writing. Her subtlety and preoccupation with inner life is a fusion of sensibility and imagination, and it comes along with her engagement with the outside political and social world events.”
Mercedes Vicente, Curator, Kentler International Drawing Space, New York City 2003.
I work internationally with a focused practice of printmaking and social engagement through collaborative projects. The practice combines exploring transformation through the arts alongside with wider notions of dialogue, audience participation and cultural democracy with lecturing and writing.
ACADEMIC Papers and Conference
2011 The International Mokuhanga Woodcut Printmaking Conference, Kyoto, Japan , Presented the paper ‘ The print cut loose: woodcut and society’
Written work
2011 Dipti Bhagat & Peter O’Neill ( September 2011) "Inclusive practices, Inclusive Pedagogies: Learning from Widening Participation Research in Art and Design Higher Education" Chapter 2.4 Insight on OutReach: Towards a critical practice Olivia Sagan, Emily Candela, Bess Frimodig, Ukadia publisher , London
2010 Bootstrap Company Dalston Open Studios ( Widening participation ) Seminar 15-19 November, Dalston , London. Chaired talks for introducing underprivileged 16-19 year olds in to the cultural and creative industries. Funded by Hackney Council.
Inspiration Day for Human Rights Education and legislation for its new curriculum, Akademie de Witte, Den Haag, Holland 15 September. A symposium led by Dutch Human Rights lawyer Dr. Barbara Oomen, parliamentarians, the Head of Human Rights for the European Council, cultural directors and teachers. My role was to offer Consultancy in how to use visual arts and printmaking in teaching human rights.
Roosevelt Academy and University of Utrecht 20 May: Art as a tool for Freedom Symposium, Middleburg, Holland presented the paper Roosevelt and the WPA programme,: exploring prints and social engagement in times of recession.
2009 Arts in Society, Venice, Italy
Hidden Impact, Bristol, UK
4th International Conference on the Arts in Society presented the paper Imprint of a Dialogue: Intersecting Images, Tracing Lives, Venice, Italy
IMPACT International Printmaking conference, poster presentation An Honourable practice: Printmaking and Social Engagement, UWE, Bristol, UK
2008 Pauza Foundation and European Sociological Association, ‘Performing biographies and the art of interpretation conference, Cracow, Poland
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
2006 - present PhD candidate 'An Honourable Practice - Printmaking and Social engagement'
Centre for Fine Arts Print Research, University of West England, Bristol
2004 - Certificate in teaching in Higher Education, London Metropolitan University
2001 - MA Typographic Design, London College of Communication, UAL, London
1992 - MFA Visual Journalism through Narrative, School of Visual Arts, NYC, US
1990 - Diploma in Fine Arts, Foundation Studies, Open University, Malmo, Sweden.
1989 - BFA Design, University of Kansas, USA.
LECTURER
2004 – present
University of the Arts, London College of Communication, London, UK
2003 – present
School of Humanities, Arts and Languages, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
AWARDS, GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS
19 scholarships and research grants in visual arts and humanities studies including: The Clerkenwell Green Association Business Support grant 2002 and London Arts Agency Ad Hoc grant 2004, 2009 Winner of Brent's Wall of Resistance community art project awarded by the Mayor of Brent and Chair of BHMD planning committee.
Permanent collection Library of Alexandria, Egypt
HONOURS
18 scholarships and research grants in visual arts and humanities studies including
The Clerkenwell Green Association Business Support grant 2002 and London Arts Agency Ad Hoc grant 2004.
WORKSHOPS : Printmaking:
2010 Core Arts – Promoting positive mental health through the arts, Homerton, London 26 November. Workshop Etching on linoleum with caustic soda.
Monumental Print Making, Kulturfabriken KKV Ornskoldsvik, North Cultural Council , Norrland April, Sweden
Monoprint Flotsam- printing with found objects, Create Centre, Bristol, UK
WORKSHOPS : Personal Development:
2009 – ongoing University of the Arts, London Anxieties around Presentations, UAL HQ, London. Developing public speaking skills for anxious students.
WORKSHOPS : Graphic Design:
1989 – 2001 One day workshops facilitating the understanding and use of visual communication systems and creativity through design, use of images and typography for editors, journalist database engineers, and designers at University of Kansas for Bonniers Publishing, Paderno del Grappa International University in Italy, Egmont Publishers in Sweden and Trapeze Design and Bit by Bit Ltd in India
PUBLISHED
2010 Insight on Outreach: The neutered revolution, co-written with Olivia Sagan and Emily Candela International Journal for Education in the Arts, USA
2008 Art in Philosophy, Zidane Press London, UK
2004 Innovate to Retain, UAL, London, UK
1996 End of the Floating World, Raphael Fodde, Editions, NYC, US
1992 The Shape of Tea, School of Visual Arts, NYC, US
1989 Playfulness of Japanese Graphic Design, University of Kansas, US
PRESS
2010 Krabbendaam,H Kunst en menschenrechten.Dicht bij huis beginnen Zeuws Tijdschrift , Netherlands July pp.70-742
2009 Charpentier, CJ Elegant Sculptural Kvallsposten, Sweden
Lejon,T, Magical Usefulness, 60 degrees Osterlen Runt
Schwandt, E Sculpture and prints at Gallery Mittbrodt, Olandsbladet
2002 Sundar, S Signs of language, The Hindu, India
EXHIBITIONS
Solo shows
2006 - Matthew Kay Gallery, The Love Shoe Show, London, UK
Trapeze gallery, Collected prints, Bangalore, India
2005 - Kissho Gallery, These things of a poetic resonance, Osaka, Japan
Clerkenwell Green Association, What’s my Clerkenwell, London, UK
Two man
2011 Der Druckery Sprezzatura, Middelburg , Holland
Group shows
2010 Small Print, Big Impression, Leicester Print workshop, Leicester, UK
Penang State Museum Gallery, 2nd Penang International Print, Malaysia Create Centre, Littoral, Bristol Council, Bristol , UK
2010 Mamhoud Mokthar Museum , Miniature Graphics, Cairo, Egypt
2009 Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, A-21, Kobe, Japan
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Arts Center, First Alexandria Biennale for Miniature Graphics, Alexandria, Egypt
CASO Contemporary Art Space, A-21, Osaka, Japan
Valfisken, Simrishamn Prefectural Gallery, Magical Usefulness, Simrishamn, Sweden
Ministry of Culture N.I Museum Of Macedonia, 2009 Graphic Arts Triennale, Bistola, Macedonia
Wrexham Arts Centre, Wrexham International Print Show, Wales, UK
Willesden Cultural Centre, The Wall, Wall of Resistance, London, UK
Lessedra Gallery, 8th World Art Print, Sofia, Bulgaria
Gallery Mittbrodt, Borgholm, Sweden
Spike Island Print Studios, Hidden Impact On-site installations, Bristol, UK
Spitalfields Arts SAFE Studios, Art Cash & Carry, Bliss Bits London, UK
2008 Balen Gebouw Gallery, Borders of Perception, Enschede, Holland
Federation Gallery, BIMPE International Print, Vancouver, Canada
Yamanaka-danni Gallery, A-21, Osaka, Japan
Candid Arts Trust, Art Cash & Carry, London, UK
Blackwell's, UWE Miniprint, Bristol, UK,
Willesden Cultural Centre, The Wall, The Puzzle Project, London, UK
Lessedra Gallery, World Art Print, Sofia, Bulgaria
2007 Spitalfields Arts SAFE Studios, Freedom, London ,UK
The Art Club, Members’ show, London,UK
London Print Studio, I love Print, London, UK
Wrexham Arts Centre, Wrexham International Print Show, Wales, UK
Ogata Gallery, A-21, Osaka, Japan
Osaka Prefectural Gallery, A-21, Osaka, Japan
2006 Mall Galleries, Pall Mall, Elephant proof, London, UK
u:ni:pon2kau2 art project space, Puzzle project, Osaka, Japan
London Print Studio, Summer show, London, UK
CASO Contemporary Art Space, A-21, Osaka, Japan
2005 Grafikens Hus, Gripsholms Castle, In the garden, Mariefred, Sweden
The RAC, Summer show, London, UK.
Ofcom Showcase,The Ofcom Building, The Art of Communication, London, UK
2004 CASO Contemporary Art Space, A-21, Osaka, Japan
Coningsby’s Gallery, East meets West , London, UK
Clerkenwell Green Association, Picture the Word, London, UK
2003 Coningsby’s Gallery, Colour. London, UK
2002 OCAC Public gallery, A-21, Osaka, Japan
Uehon- machi gallery, A-21, Osaka, Japan
Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Colour and Cultural Identities, London, UK in collaboration with the Lakereen Gallery, Mumbai, India.
Maru Gallery, A-21, Pusan, Korea
2001 A-21 gallery, A-21, Osaka, Japan.
2000 Delgado Gallery, New works, New Orleans, US.
1992 World Art Gallery, International Show, Seoul Korea.
MEMBERSHIPS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
KRO Swedish National Organization for Professional Artists
IAA International Association of Artists
ARTIST and RESCIDENCY
AKI with UWE May 2008 Enschede, Holland.
REPRESENTED BY:
Sarita Sundar Gallery, India and A-21, Japan and Grafikens Hus, Sweden.
COLLECTIONS
Private and company collections in Europe, Asia and the USA,
Clients and collectors included Polhill Communication, Securitas,
Weidenfeld and Nicholson, Bonniers, Egmont, Peter Owen Publishers.
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