Collection:

Frida Wannerberger’s (b. 1989) art is all about power. Audiences have sometimes described her puffy sleeved girls as ‘angels’ or ‘dolls’, but Frida would object to such characterisation. Indeed, this would imply a sort of passivity or submission, suggested by the youthful looks of her ethereal heroines. Instead, the titles given to the paintings testify that they are alive with inner thoughts of their own. In her art, the little girl and the grown woman coincide as one.

This raises a fundamental theme which connects the artworks to a sense of universality: what are the infinite possibilities that erupt from adopting, or rejecting, the codes that have defined femininity? In many ways, Frida actively challenges what it means to be a woman by transforming the body into both a vehicle for communication of such ideas, and a tool which can allow us to make these statements. As the artist invites us to interpret her work as we please, we can equally wonder what the girls portrayed would say about themselves. This playfulness reveals Frida’s mastering of the art of storytelling: the artist’s own life is the most influential source of vision, turning her paintings into biographical tales of navigating feelings around identity and agency.

Artist statement written by Salomé Jacques.

Selected Exhibitions: Solos: (upcoming) LBF Contemporary, London (2026); Into the Sunset with You, Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing (2024); Take Me, I’m Yours, Haricot Gallery, London (2023); Group shows: Two, Haricot Gallery, London (2025); Soho Residency Showcase, Sarah Kravitz Gallery, London (2024); 10 Years Anniversary Charity Auction, Art on a Postcard, Gathering Gallery, London (2024); Presentation, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh (2024); Residencies: Kowitz & Kravitz Residency, London (2024).

Education: 2022-2023 MA Painting, Royal College of Art; 2011-2013 Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, Central Saint Martins; 2008-2009 Foundation Diploma in Art And Design, Central Saint Martins.