PAUL FRYER

He briefly studied at the Leeds College of Art in 1980s, and in the following years worked as a disc jockey, musician and music producer until he moved to London in 1996 to work as a graphic designer and gallery consultant. During this period he also wrote a book of poetry, Don’t Be So … (2001), which was illustrated by Damien Hirst. In 2005, after deciding to dedicate himself to his art practice, he had first solo show Carpe Noctumtook place at Trolley Gallery in London. He often collaborates with physicist and engineer Colin Dancer to create complex electronic and mechanical works using the latest scientific research and technology. He exhibited with Mat Collishaw a lightning sculpture with Tesla coils for The Tempest exhibition at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007). He also creates gothic and sometimes gruesome figures in wax, highlighting the links between hyper-realism and scientific observation. His seminal work, Pieta (The Empire Never Ended) (2007), where a deposed Christ is placed in an electric chair, is composed of wax, wood, hair, oil paint and canvas was acquired by the François Pinault Foundation Collection. He has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows in the past decade in the United Kingdom and abroad, including in The Gucci Museum (2012), Florence; Guido Costa Projects (2012), Turin; Museum of Modern Art (2012), Baku; Glasstress (2013), Venice; FAS Contemporary (2014), Rook & Raven (2014) and Somerset House (2016), all in London; and at Dickinson Roundell Gallery (2016), New York.

For more information: paulfryer.net