"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
2009 Arts in Society, Venice, Italy
Hidden Impact, 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.
PUBLISHED
2008 'Art in Philosophy', Zidane Press, London
2005 ‘Artnavi’, What’s on – Japan, Japan
2004 ‘Innovate to Retain’ , UAL, UK
2002 ‘Signs of language’ The Hindu, India
1996 ‘End of the Floating World’, Raphael Fodde, Editions, NYC, US
1992 ‘The Shape of Tea’ , School of Visual Arts, US
1989 ‘Playfulness of Japanese Graphic Design’ , University of Kansas, US
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
Group shows
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.
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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