Bio

Drange was born on May 24, 1983 in Köthen (Anhalt), Germany. He studied at the International Center of Photography in New York and at the Art Students League of New York. Drange received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 2015 and a master’s degree in painting in 2019 at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg to pursue, and later obtained his from the same university.

Drange is best known for his use of digital found-objects in post-digital paintings of contemporary influencers and social media symbolism. He depicts online images and transforms them into classical oil paintings, often on large canvas. As a statement on authorship and originality, Drange doesn’t paint any of his artwork. Instead, he creates sketches from various digital found-objects and sends them to an oil painting factory in China, where they are painted by hand on large-scale canvas. The amalgamation of selfies, emojies and other depictions of social media symbols are central to all of Drange’s works.

Drange’s work has appeared in several exhibitions and magazines such as the Kunstforum International, Numéro, Weserburg, and the Benaki Museum, as well as the exhibition “Link in Bio” at MDBK Leipzig and the international group show “The artist is online” at Galerie König.

portrait of chris drange

© Vedad Divovic

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

 

2022     HET PORTRET, Het Leienpaleis, group exhibition, Antwerp, Belgium

 

2022     Die Klasse Anselm Reyle, Galerie Noah, group exhibition, Augsburg, Germany

 

2021     #LIKE4LIKE, Plan X Art Gallery, solo exhibition, Milan, Italy

 

2021     DIREKTE AUKTION, Ostdeutsche Kunstauktionen, art auction, Berlin, Germany

 

2021     NFTism: NO FEAR IN TRYING, Unit London, group exhibition, London, UK

 

2021     DIAMONDS & BUTTERFLIES, Falko Alexander Galerie, solo exhibition, Köln, Germany

 

2021     MISA, Messe St. Agnes, KÖNIG Galerie, art fair, Berlin, Germany

 

2021     INTERLEAVING, Falko Alexander Galerie, group exhibition, Köln, Germany

 

2021     VANITY, Tick Tack, solo exhibition, Antwerp, Belgium

 

2021     THE ARTIST IS ONLINE, KÖNIG Galerie, group exhibition, Berlin, Germany

 

2020     DER RIVER, Baumwollspinnerei, group exhibition, Leipzig, Germany

 

2020     LINK IN BIO, Museum für bildende Künste, group exhibition, Leipzig, Germany

 

2019     NEW PAINTINGS, Hochschule für bildende Künste graduation exhibition, Hamburg, Germany

 

2019     CLASS OF ANSELM REYLE, Hochschule für bildende Künste, annual exhibition, Hamburg, Germany

 

2018     CLASS OF ANSELM REYLE, Hochschule für bildende Künste, annual exhibition, Hamburg, Germany

 

2017     ARTIST´S BOOKS FOR EVERYTHING, Zentrum für Künstlerpublikationen, Weserburg, Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen, Germany

 

2017     KLEINE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR PROFANE RELIQUIEN, Kleine Gesellschaft für Kunst und Kultur, Hamburg, Germany

 

2016     KONFORM, group exhibition, Lemgo, Germany

 

2016     WIMMELBILDER, Hochschule für bildende Künste, annual exhibition, Hamburg, Germany

 

2014     PHOTO BASTEI, Photo Bastei, group exhibition, Zürich, Switzerland

 

2013     RAUM1, F40, group exhibition, Berlin, Germany

 

2012     DIE HAUT DER STADT, Fenster61, solo exhibition, Berlin, Germany

 

2012     NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, New York Photo Festival, group exhibition, Brooklyn, New York, USA

 

2012     PASSAGES, Salon Separee, solo exhibition, Berlin, Germany

 

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

 

2017      RELICS, 112 pp., 97 ills., Hatje Cantz Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7757-4362-4

 

2015      HECHO EN SOCIALISMO – SOCIALISM TODAY IN VENEZUELA, 160 pp., 149 ills., Kerber Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7356-0096-7

 

2014      NYPH Journal, Volume 1, TIME IN SPACE, powerHouse Books, ISBN 978-1-5768-7664-0

 

 

GRANTS

 

2017      Publication Promotion, Materialverlag – HFBK, Hamburg

 

2017      Promotion, Purple Earth Foundation, Berlin

 

 

EDUCATION

 

2019     MFA from Hochschule für bildende Künste (HFBK), Hamburg, Germany

 

2017     BFA from University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (HFBK), Hamburg, Germany

 

2015-19      studies at University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (HFBK), Hamburg, Germany

 

2013-14      studies at Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (HGB), Leipzig, Germany

 

2007-08      studies at School of the International Center of Photography (ICP), New York, USA

 

2007-08      studies at Art Students League of New York, USA