BRENT WADDEN

Brent Wadden, originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, works between Berlin and Vancouver and is known for his hand-loomed, woven paintings. The paintings invoke bold colors and geometric forms while at the same time accentuating the artist’s labor. These handwoven artworks hold together the characteristics of painting, drawing and textile weaving, transcending their boundaries while combining the different genres together which ultimately form Wadden’s unique ‘painting’. According to Wadden, the weavings “retain a kind of energy which partially comes from the laborious process of making, which is both meditative and physically demanding.” Influenced by abstract expressionism, Wadden’s woven painting is an output of tangible labor that blurs the lines between traditional folk art and contemporary fine art while at the same time underscoring the tactility and materiality of weaving.

The exhibition title Karma derives from how the artist has recently been leaning towards negative or grim ideas in reaction to the current political climate and world affairs. The artist finds it interesting how ‘karma’ can be neutral and can cross over between either positive or negative connotations. In relation to this contemplation, the artist produced his new series of works centering around the colors of pink and green, as the artist views both pink and green as positive colors on the spectrum of energy, focusing on the affirmative aspect of ‘karma’.

Brent Wadden’s current and upcoming museum exhibitions include an upcoming solo exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver as well as exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Japan, the Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, the Camden Arts Centre, London, United Kingdom, and the Curitiba Biennial, 2017 at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Curitiba, Brazil.

Wadden’s works have been exhibited in numerous solo exhibitions around the world including at Peres Projects in Berlin, Pace Gallery in London, Mitchell Innes and Nash Gallery in New York as well as Almine Rech Gallery in Brussels and Paris. Wadden’s works can be found in public collections worldwide including the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, the Marciano Art Foundation in Los Angeles, and the LVMH Foundation in Paris.