Maria Kreyn is a Russian born artist, educated in drawing at SORA (School of Representational Art), and at the University of Chicago (in math and philosophy). Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries in the United States and Europe, and has traveled to multiple museums in China.
Reprising art historical conventions of the Baroque and Romantic periods, Maria’s paintings can be best described as a re-mix of familiar pictorial tropes and iconographies that communicate through a combination of allegory, masterfully rendered figures, and mysterious scenes which are neither of a specific time nor place. Kreyn’s compositions are not strictly traditional. While deriving their technical foundations from old master works, she reframes these techniques and expands their pictorial vocabulary into a realm of stirring emotional narratives, unique personal histories, and surreal fictions. From a predominantly female, even androgynous, perspective, Kreyn tells a story of human intimacy and ceremony, investigating the liminal state of connection and detachment.
Maria lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Inquiries
For availability of original works, terms of sales, commissions, or to collaborate please contact:
info.mkreyn@gmail.com
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, (mathematics/philosophy), class of 2009
School of Representational Art, Chicago, 2005-2006
Angel Studios, Toronto, 2004
HIGHLIGHTED EXHIBITIONS
2018
Solo show. Fabien Fryns Chapel (Fabien Fryns Fine Art), Marbella, Spain “How to Become a Cloud”
Solo show. Welsh Chapel (Heist Gallery), London, UK. “Polyphony”
Group show. Freight and Volume Gallery, NYC. “Summer of Love”
2017
Solo show. Booth Gallery, Chelsea, NYC, "May you live in interesting times”
Fair. Bombay Beach Biennale. Bombay Beach, CA
2016
Museum group show. NuMuseum Los Gatos. "Et Arcadia in Ego.”
2015
Group show. Elga Wilmer Gallery, Chelsea, NYC, "60 Americans,”
2014
Group show. Leila Heller Gallery: Southhampton Art Center. 'Close Up: Contemporary Portraiture’
Group show. Lyons Wier Gallery, Chelsea, NYC, "Voyeur,"
Group show. Leila Heller Gallery, Chelsea, NYC, "Look at Me," curated by Beth DeWoody, Paul Morris
2013
Curated. Mark Miller Gallery, NYC, "Compulsion,"
Three person group show. Highline Loft, Chelsea NYC, “Incarnations"
Museum group show. Tianjin Art Museum, ACOPAL, Tianjin, China
Museum group show.Hubei Provincial Museum, ACOPAL, Wuhan, China
Museum group show. Zhejiang Provincial Museum, ACOPAL, Hangzhou, China
Museum group show. Shanghai Art Museum, ACOPAL, Shanghai, China
2012
Solo show. End of Century Gallery, New York City, solo show, "However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light"
Museum group show. Beijing World Art Museum, ACOPAL, Beijing, China
Museum group show. Dalian Modern Museum, ACOPAL, Dalian, China
Group show. Freight + Volume: NYC, "Double Dirty Dozen"
2011
Museum group show. Butler Institute of American Art Museum: ACOPAL
Solo Show. Pan Galleri: Oslo, Norway, "Messengers"
FURTHER EXHIBITIONS
2018
Group show. Freight and Volume Gallery, NYC. “Summer of Love”
Group show. Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. “Painting Now”
2017
Group show. Booth Gallery, Chelsea, NYC, "Psychological Realism”
Museum group show. Cal Lutheran University. CA. "Et Arcadia in Ego"
2016
Group show.The Lodge Gallery, NYC. "Point of Origin"
Group show. Untitled-Space, NYC. "In the Raw"
Group show. Stephanie Chefas Projects, CA. “Selfie"
2015
Group show. Stephen Romano Gallery, NYC. “Magica Sexualis”
Group show. Q Art Salon. Santa Ana, CA. “Drawn In II”
Group show. Portraits, Inc. NYC. "Blue Drawings"
Group show. Sirona Fine Arts, Hallandale, Fl. "Artist's Gaze"
Fair. Art Palm Beach, SIrona Fina Arts
2014
Group show. Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. "Giants Among Us"
Group show. CO exhibitions, Minneapolis, MN, "Effigy and Exile"
2013
Group show. Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, Sag Harbor, "Women Painting Women"
Fair. Dacia Gallery, NYC, Fountain Fair
Group show. Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, "Starter Kit”
Group show. Q Art Salon, Santa Ana, CA, "Figured Out”
2012
Group show. Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles, “Crucifixion"
Fair. Broadway Gallery, Miami Basel, Fountain Fair, Verge Fair
Group show. 25CPW Gallery, New York City, "Converge"
Group show. Corey Helford: Los Angeles, "Motion"
Group show. Milavek Hakimi: NYC, "Drawn In”
Group show. Corey Helford Gallery: Los Angeles, "Hookers"
Group show. The Cell: Chelsea, New York City, "Line"
2011
Group show. National Arts Club: New York City, NY, "ACOPAL"
Two person show. Art Cube Gallery: Laguna, CA, "Double Vision"
CURATORIAL
2013
Mark Miller Gallery, "Compulsion," co-curated with Dina Brodsky
RESIDENCY
2017
Fabien Fryns Chapel Residency, Marbella, Spain
2014
Eileen Kaminsky Foundation Residency, MANA Contemporary
TELEVISION
2016-2017
ABC created a TV show about “Alone Together” — Shonda Rhimes’ The Catch
PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
2018
Vanity Fair on Art: Feature article written by editor Nick Foulkes
BA High life - British Airways in flight magazine feature
Russian Art + Culture magazine review: https://www.russianartandculture.com/heist-gallery-presents-maria-kreyns-polyphony-
Wall Street International magazine: https://wsimag.com/art/37855-maria-kreyn-polyphony
Schön! Magazine: https://schonmagazine.com/interview-maria-kreyn/
Fad Magazine: https://fadmagazine.com/2018/05/02/maria-kreyn/
Country & Townhouse magazine: https://www.countryandtownhouse.co.uk/culture/an-artist-with-a-millennials-eye-and-old-masters-hand/
London GO on London Live: Television interview with Luke Blackhall
2017
The Blue Review exhibition review: https://thebluereview.net/may-you-live-in-interesting-times-reviewed-by-lauren-amalia-redding-60a10c4f3e83
Whitehot Magazine solo exhibition review: https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/by-maria-kreyn-evan-kitson/3743
Artzealous: http://artzealous.com/sneak-peek-booth-gallery-presents-maria-kreyn/
Juxtapoz Magazine: https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/sculpture/maria-kreyn-and-ronit-baranga-at-booth-gallery/
Artcritical: http://www.artcritical.com/listings-week
Whitehot Magazine feature: https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/maria-kreyn-s-breakout-moment/3679
Bombay Beach Biennale:
Vice: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/the-art-biennale-held-on-the-shores-of-a-toxic-lake
Whitehot Magazine by Donald Kuspit: https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/donald-kuspit-on-contemporary-physiognomists/3611
Figurative Artists Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_7?k=figurative+artist%27s+handbook&sprefix=figurat
ArtWeek interview: http://www.artweek.com/interview/fine-art/shes-had-her-work-featured-catch-find-out-more-about-her-style-and-her-multi#
Klassik Magazine Interview: http://www.klassikmagazine.com/maria-kreyn/
Cultural Studies Center interview: http://www.nccsc.net/studio-visits-allison/studio-maria-kreyn
Beautiful Savage Magazine Interview: http://beautifulsavage.com/design/interview-painter-maria-kreyn/
2016
New Museum Los Gatos: Et Arcadia in Ego
Metroactive: http://www.metroactive.com/arts/Et-in-Arcadia-Ego-NUMU-Los-Gatos-Group-Show.html
Juxtapoz Magazine: http://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/et-arcadia-ego-new-contemporary-at-new-museum-los-gatos/
Female Gaze:
WhiteHot Magazine: http://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/nude-opens-tuesday-in-tribeca/3405
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/whos-afraid-of-the-female-gaze_us_57238117e4b0b49df6ab19bc
Booooooom online magazine feature: http://www.booooooom.com/2016/04/29/artist-spotlight-maria-kreyn/
2015
Huffington Post feature, "Figurative Artists Rule Again: 3 of the Art World's Greatest” :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/malcolm-harris/figurative-artists-rule-a_b_8722502.html
The Moth magazine feature. Ireland. Summer 2015
Juxtapoz Magazine print feature: http://www.juxtapoz.com/tag/maria-kreyn
2014
Poets Artists Magazine. “The Power of Drawing.”
Huffington Post Feature: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/malcolm-harris/women-in-art-5-rising art_b_6140078.html
Fine Art Connoisseur: http://www.fineartconnoisseur.com/Figurative-Artist-Included-in-Cutting-Edge-Contemp/17756905
2013
Art Studio America Book feature alongside Marina Abramovic, John Currin, Alex Katz, and others
Press release: http://gallery.mailchimp.com/d193206edc/files/
http://www.thamesandhudson.com/asalist.html
New York Natives: Stuart Braunstein, video interview and feature in New York Natives: http://newyorknatives.com/native-underground-maria-kreyns-different-strokes/#.Uo0Hn_buUfE
WOW Talk at Apple Store, Soho, NYC: https://soundcloud.com/wow-talks/artny-maria-kreyn
Combustus Magazine. Interview: http://www.combustus.com/13/maria-kreyn/
2012
Vincent Zambrano, Video interview: http://vimeo.com/53131095
Evolver.net: http://www.realitysandwich.com/maria_kreyn_art
American Artist Magazine feature: Article "25 artists of tomorrow," American Artist, September 2012
ArteFuze interview: http://artefuse.com/2012/09/15-questions-for-artist-maria-kreyn/
New York Times, Ken Johnson, group show review: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/arts/design/the-double-dirty-dozen-friends.html
L Magazine, Paddy Johnson, group show review, 2012: http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/with-genitals-maybe-less-is-more/Content?oid=2258142
American Art Collector magazine feature: ”Of the earth,"
2011
Vincent Zambrano, video interview, "Messengers" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB4DArnZDuc
ArteFuse: About messengers, solo exhibition : http://artefuse.com/2011/08/maria-kreyn-messengers-2011/