The Painting Center is pleased to present Waiting, a group of recent figurative works by painter Anki King, on view from June 22 to July 17, 2021 in the Project Room.

Growing up in a small town in Norway, as a child, King heard stories about trolls, nisse, and other magical beings who lived in the forest. The magic and mystery, color, and general feeling of that place are still very much a part of who she is and it shows in her work. The imagery in these recent paintings is discovered through the process of creation. King works on loose canvas stretched and stapled to the studio wall and often starts by smearing bright patches of thin paint over the whole surface.

The physicality of King’s work is equally adventurous. The rugged texture and blue light in this series of paintings have a strong connection to the nature where she grew up. These are not surfaces painted by design, but rather arrived at through a process of trial and error. There is no uniform format or size to these paintings. For over twenty years, she has been in the perpetual condition of challenging herself to do things differently from one painting to the next. At the same time, she has been building a robust toolbox of painterly technique all her own by making changes, waiting and watching for the unexpected to suggest itself.

Most of the figures in this exhibit appear covered by a sheet. The shroud can be protection, or a way of creating distance, and also makes for an alluring mystery. Even though they are faceless, the figures still communicate directly and urgently with the viewer, almost challenging those who look their way.  There is no movement in the figure, no wind catching their sheets, but the brushwork is lively and tactile and allows for motion in the paint itself. Time is required in the meeting with these characters, they give up their secrets slowly. If one is willing to pause, there might be a whisper of meaning, a chance to connect and gain understanding.

Anki King has exhibited frequently in the US and abroad. In 2010 she won the London International Creative Competition. In 2019 she was featured as one of nineteen Norwegian contemporary artists in Kunstnerliv, which was voted the best art book of the year in Norway. She will represent Norway in the 19th Asian Art Biennale 2021, in Bangladesh. She is also featured in the documentary Artists in NYC, available on Amazon.

For more information, visit www.ankiking.com.