Hendrik Krawen (b. 1963, Lübeck) lives and works in Berlin.
About
Hendrik Krawen’s artistic focus is on painting, drawing and graphics.
A consistent feature in his work is reduction. With his affinity for music and pop culture and the references to it in many of his works, as well as in the knowledge of his enthusiastic and inspiring activities as a music collector and DJ (he has also designed flyers, posters and record covers – including eight for italic), one might even speak of Dub. In this musical genre, which originally emerged from Reggae, songs are purged and reduced to their essential elements; and single markers are repeated e.g. with echo effects. Likewise, Krawen interprets the surrounding world, reducing it to precise stark drawings, he works with a monochrome colour scheme and through the use of patterns makes visible the constructed nature of a supposed chaos.
Krawen’s drawings remind one of Ingres, of the illustrative works of early Warhol, of the Franco-Belgian ligne claire school of comics and, of course, of architectural drawing. Fastidiously rendered, he often contrasts his motifs with coarse shadow-figures, who in painterly quality go beyond mere staffage. Krawen’s tools are brushes and paint. The graphite pencil is used only privately or in the sketchbook.
Krawen plays with typography, between sgraffiti and graffiti, twisting and turning letters, working with stamps and stencils. Here handwork is crucial. Krawen does not paint watercolors onto computer prints. Keeping with music, his inspiration is more likely to be found in the DIY aesthetics of early Detroit Techno, Jamaican Reggae records, or African music.
Krawen’s painting is solid, graphical, often full-tone. Here, too, he works with utmost care – application of color, monochromy, contrast. What is portrayed becomes emblematic. Gestural expression is of less importance to him; rather an affinity to screen-printing, as an idea, the pattern, the serial.
CV
1963
Born in Lübeck, Germany
1979 - 1981
Studied painting with Rainer E. Teubert in Lübeck
1982 - 1984
Studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf with Alfonso Hüppi
1984 - 1985
Studio exchange to Berlin
1992
Studio residence at Cité des Arts, Paris
1994 - 1996
Scholarship Günther Peill-Stiftung at Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren
1995 - 1996
Scholarship Barkenhoff-Stiftung Niedersachsen, Worpswede
2003
Scholarship Kunstfonds Foundation, Bonn/Berlin
2007 - 2008
Guest professorship at Hfbk Hamburg
2012
Scholarship Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc., New York
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
"Dilema Perdido" Kewenig, Palma De Mallorca
2017
"Ich sing' dir ein Lied“ (two Parts), ITALIC, Berlin
"Moves#153, geschlossene Fenster offene Türen", Image Movement, Berlin
"Mehr und mehr und mehr und mehr“ Ulla Hahn & Hendrik Krawen, Galerie Vincenz Sala, Berlin
2011
"Risk of devotion", Galeria Kewenig, Palma de Mallorca
"Stadt der Bilder", Kewenig, Cologne
2010
"Shades of green", Galleria Lia Rumma, Naples
2009
"Es ist kalt draußen – ich weiß", Kerstin Engholm Galerie, Vienna
2008
"Frauen und Männer", Katharina Jacobsen / Hendrik Krawen, Galerie Haus Schneider, Karlsruhe
2007
"Schall und Rauch", Galerie Dennis Kimmerich, Düsseldorf
2006
"Eden", Galleria Lia Rumma, Milan
2005
"Living in the garden of life / Am Straßenrand", Engholm Engelhorn Galerie, Vienna
2004
"Am Rand der Straße", Dennis Kimmerich Galerie, Düsseldorf
2003
"Rendez-vous", St. Petri, Lübeck
2001
"Motiv", Kerstin Engholm Galerie, Vienna
2000
"Zimmer mit zwei Fenstern", Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
1998
"Treffpunkt Berlin", Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
1997
"Staub gegen Heimweh oder was um uns herum geschah", Portfolio Kunst AG, Vienna
1996
"Lexicon Discothek Bon", Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, Düren
"Muzik", Galerie Haus Schneider, Ettlingen
"Hinter dem Bild ist die Wand", mit K. Jacobsen, Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
1994
"Hendrik Krawen‘s Bilder", Galerie Metta Linde, Lübeck
„morphup“, with T. Flor, WP8, Düsseldorf
1991
"Lexikon - die imaginäre Stadt", Friesenwall 116A, Cologne
"Öl Bilder", Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen near Cologne
1988
"Rolltreppe", Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen near Cologne
1986
"Orange Sofa", Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen near Cologne
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
"aufzeichnen...", Galerie Vincenz Sala, Berlin
2016
"Etwas von Haus und jedem verspielt-macht noch lang nicht blind" Stefan Ettlinger/Heinz Hausmann/Hendrik Krawen, MLPart, Düsseldorf
2015
"Radikal Modern - Planen und Bauen in Berlin der 60er Jahre", Berlinische
Galerie, Museum für Moderne Kunst Berlin, Germany
2014
"abc - Art Berlin Contemporary" with Kewenig, Berlin
2013
"Why Painting Now?", VIENNAFAIR, Vienna
"Städtebauliche Prosa", Kerstin Engholm Galerie, Vienna, Austria
2012
"Differenza e Ripetizione", Galleria Lia Rumma, Naples
"Aus Passion. Zeitgenössische Kunst aus der Sammlung Hanck", Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
2011
"Hendrik Krawen / Dominik Louda / Dietmar Lutz", Kerstin Engholm Galerie, Vienna
2009
"Malerei ist immer abstrakt", Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst im Glaspalast Augsburg
"Steppin’ out", Kunsthalle zu Kiel
2008
"What kind of painting", Sprüth Magers Projekte, Munich
2007
"Von Abts bis Zmijewski", Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
"Full House – painting from the Falckenberg Collection", Overbeck-Gesellschaft, Lübeck
2006
"Die Jugend von heute/The Youth of Today", Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt on the Main
"Metropolitanscape – Paesaggi Urbani Nell’Arte Contemporanea", Palayyo Cavour, Turin
"Demolition", Engholm Engelhorn Galerie, Vienna
"SEE History 2006 / Schätze Bilden", Kunsthalle zu Kiel
2005
"Raumfürraum", Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
"Heute hier, morgen dort... ", Städtische Ausstellungshalle Münster
"Weltinnenräume", Deutsche Gesellschaft für Christliche Kunst, Munich
2004
"Central Station / la Collection Falckenberg", La Maison Rouge, Foundation Antoine de Galbert, Paris
"Reflections", Artuatuca Festival, Tongeren
"SEE History 2004 / Der demokratische Blick", Kunsthalle zu Kiel
"Sammlung Hanck", Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf
2003
"Deutschemalereizweitausenddrei", Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt on the Main
"SEE History 2003 / eine Sammlung wird ausgestellt", Kunsthalle zu Kiel
"Basic", Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
2002
"Urbane Sequenzen",Kunsthalle Erfurt, Schloss Ringenberg,
"Urbane Sequenzen", Museum Schloss Hardenberg, Erfurt
"Private Space", Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna
Galerie Municipale Julio Gonzalez, Arcueil
2001
"Salons de Musique", Musée d'art moderne et contemporain, Strasbourg
2000
"Schnitt 2000", Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf
"New Painting from Germany", Deitch Projects New York
"Click", Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
1999
"Superca..., Stedelijk Museum Bureau, Amsterdam
"Les Adieux", Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen near Cologne
1998
"Über Bau", Wohnmaschine, Friedrich Loock, Berlin
"Ohne Teppich kein Zuhause", Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
1997
"Sehfahrt", Altonaer Museum, Hamburg
"Malerei V", Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
"Surprise II", Kunsthalle Nürnberg
1995
"Vorspiel II", Galerie Bochynek, Düsseldorf
1994
"Hamburg - Düsseldorf – Berlin", Galerie Vorsetzen, Hamburg
1993
"Serial - ein limitierter Laden von Michelle Nicol", Zurich
"Malerei 2000", Sprinkenhof Hamburg, Konsthall Malmö, Hamburg and Malmö
„“Die Spanische Wand“, Galerie Christine König / Dorotheum Vienna
1992
"Glück Auf", Zeche Rheinpreussen, Moers
"Makroville", Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
1989
"Pyramiden", Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen near Cologne and ICC Berlin
1987
"Meine Zeit mein Raubtier", Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
1985
"CF, RH, HK, DS", Galerie Diemo Hänsler, Nürnberg
1984
"Paravents", Galerie Jule Kewenig, Frechen near Cologne
SELECTED PROJECTS
1992 - 1994
"WP8", joint founder, room installations at the artists arts club, Düsseldorf
1994
"EX WM - Finale", Music-Bar installation, with K. Jacobsen, R.Mucha, Kreidler, DJ Mo, DJ Hell and others, Kölnerstr. 170, Düsseldorf
1990
"EX WM", a temporary TV/Music-Bar installation, with F. Braster, H. Hausmann,
C. Föttinger and others, Kölnerstr. 170, Düsseldorf
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich
Kunsthalle zu Kiel
Leopold Hoesch Museum, Düren
Musée d'art Moderne et Contemporain Strasbourg
Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg