Fanny Nicole Brodar was born in 1971 in Oslo, Norway, grew up in New York and currently lives and works in Kennebunkport / Maine. She has participated in several exhibitions and her works are in private collections in the US and abroad, especially in Asiea.
The tremendous success in Asia can be explained by the Kawaii movement. Kawaii, a Japanese term meaning “cute” or “adorable,” has gained immense popularity and has a significant impact on contemporary art. It represents a distinct aesthetic and cultural phenomenon that has transcended its origins in Japan and captivated artists and audiences worldwide.
In contemporary art, kawaii serves as more than just an artistic style. It embodies a broader cultural sensibility characterized by innocence, playfulness, and a celebration of the childlike and whimsical. Artists draw inspiration from kawaii to create works that evoke a sense of joy, wonder, and nostalgia.
Kawaii art often features vibrant colors, exaggerated features, and anthropomorphic characters, ranging from adorable animals to fantastical creatures. It embraces a sense of cuteness and often explores themes of love, friendship, and the exploration of imagination. Through its charm and appeal, kawaii art can elicit emotional responses, invoking feelings of warmth, happiness, and comfort.
She says:
My art is influenced by the playful curiosity of childhood and the simplistic yet expressive characters of artists like Philip Guston. I love improvisational theatre, and the way I paint is similar, spontaneously from a thought rather than pre-sketching; this allows the viewer to see hints of my process through exposed pencil marks, paint drips, and deliberate unpainted areas.
Inspiration for my paintings mostly comes from childhood memories, my imagination, and things that are important to me. Currently I’m working on a series of works that feature Martian-like characters posed in different yoga positions and painted in bright, bold colors. I fill the backgrounds with things like planetary objects, rainbows, flowers, and words that come to mind in the mid-stage of my painting. The Martian evolved from my imaginary friend from childhood (a character who looks very much like The Great Gazoo from the Flintstones). That character helped me through many difficult times as a child. I’m a beekeeper, and often include flowers and little monsters in my work. Yoga and meditation are my daily practice. Weaving all of these things together, my paintings become like this euphoric tapestry — an otherworldly, and magical place that I dream to be in. In my own little world, I take care of nature in a very Buddhist-like way; I especially love the tiniest creatures, and consider it bad luck to kill bugs.
Education:
1997 BFA Art Institute of Boston, Boston, MA
Solo Exhibitions:
2024 Galería Rafael Pérez Hernando, Madrid, Spain (September)
2024 Kamilé Gallery, Perth, Australia (May)
2024 Caelis Galeria, Shanghai, China (February)
2023 Gallery Afternoon, Seoul, South Korea (November)
2023 L21 Residency, Mallorca, Spain
2023 Ascaso Gallery, Miami, FL
2023 Nothing At All Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2023 Maison Ozmen, Paris, France (February)
2022 Guy Hepner x The Tax Collection, New York, NY (Oct 6)
2022 Caelis Galeria, Shanghai, China (July 14)
2022 Guy Hepner Editions / The Tax Collection, New York, NY (Aprl 14)
2022 Mozuku Design Gallery, City of Talents, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (April)
2022 Exhibit Art Gallery, Santander, Spain (February 4)
Group Exhibitions:
2022 Save the Children, FNG-ART, Taipei, Taiwan (May)
2022 Caelis Galeria, Shanghai, China (Apr 16)
2022 Artist Hotel Art Fair, FNG-ART, Taipei, Taiwan (Apr 21 – Apr 24)
2022 Group Show: Breath, Mozuku Design Gallery, City of Talents, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (January)
2022 ART YOU LOVE, CMCA online auction, Artsy (February 12 – 26)
2021 Pop Up Pop Art, Suomei M50 Gallery & Laputa Art Center, Shanghai, China (Nov 6)
2021 August Group Exhibition, Carver Hill Gallery, Camden, Maine, USA (Aug 19 – Sept 12)
2021 5 Ways to Tell a Story, Carver Hill Gallery, Camden, Maine, USA (May 20 – June 13)
2021 Art Works Group, Singapore & Bali
2021 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace, Mermaid Beach, QLD, Australia
2021 ARTPM 2021, Buoy Gallery, Kittery, Maine, USA (March 1 – May 1)
2021 ART YOU LOVE, CMCA online auction, Artsy (February 12 – 26)
2021 MUTUO Centro de Arte, Barcelona, Spain (February)
2020 Playground, Saint Maison Gallery, Online (December 1)
2020 CMCA Biennial Exhibition, Rockland, ME, USA (October 2020 – April 2021)
2020 HOME, A Virtual Exhibition, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL, USA (July 3 – July 30)
2020 Fountain of Youth, Saint Maison Gallery, Online (June 30)
2020 CONGRUENCE, I Like Your Work Podcast & Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Online (June 12)
2020 RICE Initiative, Online Magazine (June 1)
2020 ARTPM 2020, Buoy Gallery, Kittery, Maine, USA (March 1 – May 1)
2020 ACBD, Portsmouth Public Library, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA
2020 Art Fair Carnivalesque, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, NY, USA (January 13 – January 19)
1997 Thesis Exhibition, Art Institute of Boston, Boston, MA
Selected Press:
2021 Munchies Art Club, Fanny Brodar | Planetary objects, rainbows and flowers | Happy art
2020 Portland Press Herald, CMCA Biennial takes on tough topics
2020 Portland Phoenix, The next wave of Maine artists
2020 Portsmouth Public Library, Artist Curated Book Display: Fanny Brodar
Publications and Awards
2020 Featured Artist, ArtNorth Magazine Nos. 6 & 7, Tongue, Scotland
Residencies
2022 Ellis-Beauregard Fellowship, Rockland, ME (Jan – March)
Collections
Works held in private collections worldwide
Related Experience
2020 Volunteer, Able Baker Contemporary, Portland, ME
1997 Teacher, Art Institute of Boston, Boston, MA
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