Chris Berens (Oss, 1976)

Chris Berens (Oss, 1976) studied illustration at the Academy of Art and Design in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, graduating in 1999.

Berens developed a complex and time consuming painting technique as a way to achieve the result he aimed: with the initial idea for a new work, Chris paints every detail over and over on the coated layer of a glossy paper.

All his works are hand painted. He uses ink and different types of varnish. He then cuts out fragments, separates the coating layer from the underlying paper, and stacks and unifies them on a larger panel into one image. He keeps on doing so until the image has reached its destination.

His first significant solo show was at Jaski Art Gallery in Amsterdam in 2005. Three more exhibitions at Jaski followed: Zilver, The Heaven Show and Delicate. Along with Delicate, his second book was released. 99 of the books were accompanied by unique miniature paintings.

After that, his fame spread quickly over the planet. Despite the fact that he is still young, he has exhibited world wide already (Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Singapore, the Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch). In coöperation with Jaski, he made the book Mapping Infinity as well. Besides that, he designed the cover for the latest Blondie album ‘Panic of Girls’ (Deborah Harry is a collector of his work).

Chris Berens will be the central figure in a one hour documentary which will premiere in the autumn of 2013 and will be televised nationwide in The Netherlands in December by AVRO’s Close Up. This documentary will follow Berens while creating the works for his next exhibition in Japan: a solo show at the renowned Megumi Ogita Gallery in the Ginza District of Tokyo.

For early 2014, an exhibition at the Sieboldhuis Museum in Leiden is scheduled.

Hereunder a YouTube-video which shows how Chris Berens works.

More information: Available works, Mapping Infinity, Graphic works, Books