Galerie Kandlhofer

Alexander Basil (b.1997, Arkhangelsk, Russia) currently lives and works between Düsseldorf and Vienna. Basil has studied at The Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf and The Academy of Fine Art, Vienna under Professors Elizabeth Peyton, Daniel Richter, Kirsi Mikkola and Tomma Abts. Basil began his studies at The Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf aged seventeen and has since been mastering the compositional aspects of pictorial painting and portraiture. With a prodigious attention to drawing as the basis of his practice, Basil’s compositions are constructed from exaggerated flat planes infused with heightened details of textiles, anatomical elements such as bruises, body hair and facial features, alongside various thematic objects. This concept of seeing and to be seen is a frequent thematic element of many of Basil’s paintings. His compositions regularly include objects such as mirrors, water, glasses, mobile phones; all of which hold both literal and figurative connotations of reflections both of our physical selves and our perceived identity. There is a vulnerability within this, as Basil’s portrayal of his figures conveys a heightened sense of exposure, devoid of flattery and in an almost exaggerated unidealistic manner. Basil’s previous solo exhibitions include: ‚Claustrophobia‘, Galerie Nagel Draxler, Berlin, 2021; Galerie Kandlhofer, Vienna, 2021; ‘Alexander Basil’, curated by Kirsi Mikkola, Salon Dahlmann | Miettinen Collection, Berlin, 2020. He has also exhibited in group exhibitions including: 2020 ‘Diskrete Simulation’, curated by Jakob Lena Knebl, Galerie Crone, Vienna, 2020; ‘Touch Me: Nudes from the Miettinen Collection’, Salon Dahlmann, Berlin, 2020; ‘Trust. Pictures of the class of Tomma Abts’, KIT- Art in the Tunnel, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 2017.

Galerie Kandlhofer was founded in 2016 and represents both emerging Austrian and international artists. The gallery is located in the centre of Vienna and has become a vibrant meeting place for artists, curators and collectors. Within the program, Galerie Kandlhofer presents artists of varying mediums from painting to performance with a particular interest in artists whose practices engage in interdisciplinary art. Furthermore, Galerie Kandlhofer actively curates the gallery program with an ethos of engaging with diverse voices and perspectives.