Pace Gallery has announced its representation of the German painter Friedrich Kunath. The gallery will mount a solo exhibition for the artist at its New York space this fall and will feature a new painting in its booth at Art Basel next month.
Kunath has gained traction for his paintings of ethereal landscapes, which often feature poetic phrases and quotes from film and music. The artist draws from a variety of visual influences, including
German Romanticism and the Hudson River School. He approaches his work with an idiosyncratic combination of irony and sincerity, bringing in personal references and interests, from his life in Los Angeles to tennis and cars.
Kunath’s paintings begin as free abstractions, into which he layers fragments of meaning. “To paint or to make these works is to feel at home,” he has said of his practice in a statement shared by the gallery. “To feel found, to feel understood.” His practice also encompasses drawing, sculpture, installation, and video.
“Friedrich’s work brings together emotional depth and poetic clarity, marked by a distinctive interplay of wit, melancholy, and cultural memory,” said Samanthe Rubell, Pace Gallery’s president. “Rooted in German art historical traditions and shaped by a deep engagement with the atmosphere of the West Coast of the U.S., his practice reflects a singular visual language—thoughtful, resonant, and unmistakably his own.”
Born in Chemnitz, Germany, in 1974, Kunath has presented solo shows at institutions including the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado, as well as at commercial galleries including White Cube and BLUM. His work is also featured in collections including the MOCA Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art, the Fondation Louis Vuitton, and the Centre Pompidou.
In addition to the solo exhibition at Pace, this fall will also see the New York publisher Monacelli release a new monograph of Kunath’s work. Encompassing his travels and recent installation works, the publication will trace his practice over the past 30 years.
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