Francien Krieg - Softly awaken

I am Francien Krieg, a Dutch figurative painter. For more than 25 years, the human body has been central to my work. I studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and further developed my painting at the Vrije Academie. My work is shown internationally and has been selected for the Figurativas competition of MEAM in Barcelona. In 2023 I achieved second place in Painter of the Year. Recently I was among the 25 finalists for Artist of the Year 2027. For years I mainly painted older women in my series Precious Bodies, about which a book appeared in 2018. These paintings deal with aging, visibility, and the limited beauty ideals by which we look at bodies. I am moved by the traces of a life lived: changing skin, a characteristic posture, the presence of someone who is more than her appearance. In recent years I have also turned my gaze to young men and the insecurity of puberty. In portraits, figures in water, boxers, and boys with parts of armor I explore the tension between vulnerability and the expectation to be strong. Protection can provide safety, but it can also become a weight you carry with you. Although the ages of my subjects vary, the questions remain connected. What does a body reveal? What are we trying to hide? How much space do we give each other to change, to grow older, or to not know for a moment? The works in this duo auction arise from those questions. I seek beauty in which discomfort and imperfection may also exist. Toward moments when a gaze or a gesture lets something be felt that words fail to express.

Estimate:£2,366.34

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