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.
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
