Henri Preiss

My practice is inspired by urban architecture and how it unravels layers of Histories. Specifically, I am fascinated by the monumental ideas and concept that underpin the great city structures and the reality of their inherent chaos and decay.
This fundamentally informs the composition of work and how each piece and each element of each piece sits (un)comfortably beside and/or within one another. By examining a very broad framework of art history to identify common elements (motifs, compositions, color schemes and symbolism) that arise time and again over the centuries and throughout seemingly disparate and disconnected cultures. Once identified, I abstract this language down to its most basic visual components, and then recombine them into complex, multi-layered pieces that aims to tap into archetypal visual and aesthetic language.

Works

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Curriculum Vitae

Henri Preiss

Born in 1973 in Riga Latvia

www.henrijspreiss.weebly.com

 

Education

2000-2001 MA in Scenography with distinctions, Central Saint Martins, London, United Kingdom

Merit based tuition scholarship, KKF Foundation

1996-1998 Professional degree in Scenography, Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

1992-1996 BA in Scenography, Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

 

Work Experience

2014- present Teaching Drawing, Rendering and Media classes at The Theatre School at De Paul

University, Chicago, USA

1996- present Professional Artist. Represented by James Freeman Gallery since 2005

Bastejs gallery since 2013

The Page gallery 2009-2015

2005-2009 Senior Technician Art Department, Hackney Community College

1995-2007 Freelance Stage Designer

 

Solo Exhibitions

2019 The LOOP SOLO, Gallery Bastejs, Riga, Latvia

2018 DE -CINTHESIZED. VOLTA NY solo 2018, Gallery Bastejs, New York, USA

2017 DE-CYNTHESIZED. Gallery Bastejs, Riga, Latvia

2013 New Paintings. Platform 39, London, UK ,

Artefacts. Arsenals Exhibition Hall, Latvian National Museum of Arts, Riga, Latvia

2009 The Third Degree. James Freeman Gallery, London, UK

2007 Icon Resistance. James Freeman Gallery, London, UK

2005 Istaba Gallery. Riga, Latvia

 

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018 VOLTA BASEL. Gallery Bastejs, Basel, Switzerland

2018 Luxembourg ART FAIR. Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

2017 Kunst Zurich 2017. Gallery Bastejs, Zurich, Switzerland

Luxembourg ART FAIR 2017, Gallery Bastejs, Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

2016 Alter+Combine. (Scene) Metrospace, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

The Club at the Ivy Pop Up. The London Book Fair, London, UK

2015 Vol.11 Systems. Popper Publishing Exhibition, National Library, Riga, Latvia

Place In Proximity. (Scene) Metrospace, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Artefacts. Sesame Gallery, London, UK

Purvītis Prize 2015. Arsenals Exhibition Hall, Latvian National Museum of Arts, Riga, Latvia

SCOPE BASEL ART FAIR. Gallery Bastejs, Basel, Switzerland

SCOPE MIAMI ART FAIR. Gallery Bastejs, Miami, USA

SCOPE NEW YORK. Gallery Bastejs, New York, USA

START art fair at SAATCHI gallery. Gallery Bastejs, London, UK

2014 100 Painters Of Tomorrow. Beers Contemporary, London UK

Perspective Of The Solar System. Arsenals Exhibition Hall, Latvian National Museum of Arts,

Riga, Latvia Family. Ziemelblazma Cultural Center, Riga, Latvia

2013 HOT-ONE-HUNDRED. Schwartz Gallery, London.UK

2011 Newspeak. British Art Now, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK

2010 Depth Charge. Henrijs Preiss & Yuko Nasu, Sesame Gallery, London, UK

This Is London, Henrijs Preiss & Matthew Small, DIE Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

2009 PLUS. Volume Projects, Southwark, London, UK

Innerer Klang. curated by Irene Bradbury, Rod Barton, London, UK

East End Academy. Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK

Whitecross gallery. London, UK

2008 Summer exhibition. Royal Academy, London, UK

Group. Lois Lambert Gallery, LA, USA

Whitecross gallery. London, UK

2007 Building a Legacy: Paintings 1985-2007. Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts, Omaha, USA

2006 Visual AIDS, Postcards From the Edge, New York, USA

Regroup. Sesame Art Gallery, London, UK

Summer show. Edgarmodern Gallery, Bath, UK

2005 Sense & Sensuality. BlindArt, RCA, London, UK

2003 Religion. Art & War, Salon des Arts, London, UK

Painting on wood. Bastejs Gallery, Riga, LV

2002 The Discerning Eye. The Mall Galleries, London, UK

1999 East Art Gallery. Berlin, Germany

Prague Quadrennial 99. International Scenic Design Exhibition, Prague, Czech Republic

1998 Pfefferbank Gallery. Berlin, Germany

State Academy of Art exhibition of artists from Latvia. Brussels, Belgium

Galerie-Werkstatt. Berlin, Germany

Scenobox – 2000. The exhibition of Latvian and Finnish scenographers, Riga, LV

1995 Prague Quadrennial 95. International Scenic Design Exhibition, Prague, Czech Republic.

 

Theatre Design

2007 Trailer. Indian Runner Production , Assistant set design, Winner discovery prize, Mimos

International Mime Festival, Perigeux, France and Camden People Theatre, London, UK

2006 Some Heaven To Drink. Scenography and video: Henrijs Preiss Choreography: Camille

Litalien, The Place Dance Theatre, London, UK, Teatro Barakaldo, Bilbao, Spain, Salla Endanza,

Seville Spain.

Night Light. Out of Inc Theatre Company, director: Nead Rushe, set design: Henrijs Preiss,

Roman

Eagle Lodge. Edinburgh, Oval House, London, Capitol Theater, Cardiff

2005 I raw. Aint & Inner Dance Theatre, with Scenographer Henrijs Preiss, Hoxton Hall, London, UK.

The Cactus Land. Aint & Inner Dance Theatre, set design and video editing: HP, The Cochrane

Theatre, London, UK, Salla Endanza, Seville Spain, The Place Theater, London, UK.

2001 Family tree Story. By Elina Cerpa, 16mm feature movie

1999 Werther. By J.W.Goethe, New Riga Theatre, Latvia

1998 Euralien: Landscape X. Produced by Intercult, Stockholm, Sweden

1997 Mother of Engels Joanna. By J.Ivaskevic, National Theatre of Latvia, Latvia

Brothers Karamazov. By F.Dostoevsky, Drama Department at the Latvian Academy of Culture

1995 Duel. By A. Chekhov, L. Gundars at Daugavpils Theatre, Latvia

 

Collections

Saatchi Collection, London, UK

KIA, Seoul, Korea

Jain Collection, New Delhi, Indi

University of the Arts, London, UK

Collection of the Janis Zuzans family, Riga, Awards

2013 Nomination Finalist for Purvitis Prize, Riga, Latvia

2004 Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts Residency

1999 Prague Quadrennial 99, International Scenic Design Exhibition, Discovery award for Andris

Freiberg’s Master Class student show

 

Publications

2015 Interview on Arterritory.com by Sergej Timofejev

Systems. Popper Publishing

2013 100 Painters of Tomorrow. Work included in Thames & Hudson’s Publication by Kurt Beers

Henri Preiss’ Utopian Stage Sets. Vilnis Vejs, Studija visual arts magazine

Black Cube To Play With. Interview with Kulturas, Diena Magazine

2012 People Understand My Paintings as Their Own Cultural Heritage. Interview by Juste Kostikovaite,

Arterritory.com

2010 Constant Symbolism, Elephant Magazine

Latvia Irinas and Maris Vitolu collection, Riga,

Latvia