Harmony in Chaos *
Elke Foltz is a French painter and visual artist born in 1990, with Senegalese and German roots, based in Berlin.
After graduating as a graphic designer, she worked as an illustrator. At this time, her drawing work was already guided by colours. In Berlin she expanded her artistic approach towards abstraction, creating colourful, textured and bold universes in her paintings. Her work explores this by means of colours, shapes and fragments of canvases that she collects from her previous works. Her painting work is a search for balance in a constant chaos. Each shape, line and colour on the canvas cannot live without the other. All the elements aim to be in harmony and in perpetual renewal in spite of the prevailing disorder.
Enquiries, collaborations and atelier visit by appointment :
elkefoltz@gmail.com
Publications and Media
«Artist Diaries» - PIECE WITH ARTIST - 2021
«In conversation with» - Stu|In|dio - 2020
«Keine Experimente!» - Kunstaktion launched by the galerist
Anahita Sadighi supported by Zenith Magazin. - Berlin 2020.
«In the workplace of » - Share Human Creativity - 2020
Heartxwork ~ Ballpitmag ~ Zealous Mag ~ Paper Mag ~ Beware Mag
"What are your motivation forces? And the artists who have been and are an influence for you?
My main motivation is to know that my art can talk to someone and bring a positive energy. Especially if a person feels like they don't belong out there. The lack of diversity and inclusivity in galleries and big institutions gives me the motivation to continue on my way. As a mixed race woman artist it’s important to me to take part in a change. Of course, creating is also a very personal commitment.
For me the privilege is to have a somewhere where I can feel truly free to be transparent and honest without fear. It also helps me to take distance from and understand the world we live in. I think that art in general can offer so many different perspectives and interpretations of life, I find it beautiful and important to be able to express and to share it!
So many artists have influenced or are still influencing my art such as as the Senegalese painter Ndoye Douts, the illustrator Brecht Evens, the street artist Kashink, the painters Helen Frankenthaler and Jean-Michel Basquiat, more recently the choreograph Yoann Bourgeois and the writer Toni Morrison and many more."
Collective exhibitions - selection
2020
«Korridoriale», a decentralized art festival. Berlin, GER.
2019
«Les puces de l'illu», Salon d'illustration contemporaine - Campus Fonderie de l'Image, Paris, FR.
2017
«Les bonnes Résolutions» - Stamtich café - Lyon, FR.
2016
«Les Récréatives», feminist art festival - Toulouse, FR.
2015
«Patchwork» - Art space La Mèche - Toulouse, FR.
«Danse Mort & Veuves Joyeuses» curated by the French publishing house "United dead artists" - SPRAYLAB. Nancy, FR.
2014
«Mail art exhibition», Slow Galerie - Paris, FR.
«64 KAMASUTRA ARTBOOK exhibition», Slow Galerie - Paris, FR.
Solo exhibitions - selection
2014 - Bookstore Ombres Blanches, Toulouse, FR.
2013 - Type 22 / Svelt Studio , Showroom - Pau, FR.
Published - Collaboration
STUDIO DIMANCHE
Magazine d'illustration - Édition spéciale pour le Secrétariat
Général des Affaires Européennes - SGAE, 2018.
REVUE AaOo, sang d'encre edition
Illustrations "Ennui et Volupté" published in AaOo #6, 2014
SQUAME/ECAILLES
Squame #7 - The mail art issue, 2014
64 Kamasutra Artbook, 2014
Squame #5 - The erotic issue, 2012
All rights reserved ©Elke Foltz, 2021.