Floris Felix

Winner 2021

About the artist

Floris Felix (1989) was born and raised in Haarlem. In 2006, he moved to Paris to pursue his career as a fashion illustrator and artist. While in France, he worked with luxury fashion brands such as Viktor & Rolf, Mugler and L’Oréal—as well as emerging designers. Floris Felix’s illustrations have always pushed  him to discover and master new techniques.

 

"The transition from working on my illustrations to one of my large paintings can feel like a refuge."

Floris Felix

Techniques used by the artist in his fashion illustrations, are also incorporated into his large pen drawings and oil paintings. Each of these methods of work produce pieces that are direct reflections of his own personal experiences, emotions, growth and energy. They represent different periods in the artist’s life, the places he lived and the people with whom he formed connections. All of this is evident in the materials and dimensions chosen for his paintings. The transition from paper to canvas (and back to paper again) paints a picture of Floris Felix’s physical journey.

The artist and his work have been featured in several publications in recent years. His oil paintings have been featured in exhibitions in Amsterdam, Miami, New York and Paris. His work has also been shown in galleries in Greece and at Art Basel in Miami. For about two years now, he has had his own Pop-up Gallery in Amsterdam.

Floris Felix: “The transition from working on my illustrations to one of my large paintings can feel like a refuge. It’s easy to get lost in the large space and the natural movements. But I also love going back to illustrating and seeing my girls again. These little ladies have really supported me over the years and given me the courage to show my work. It took a little longer to share my oil paintings with the world; they represent a very intimate part of myself.”

The journey

Fascinated by the Renaissance, and Michelangelo in particular, Felix spent a month wandering through Italy, where he visited the cities of Venice, Florence, Rome and Palermo. Back in the Netherlands, this translated into works wherein the human body served as the starting point. Fueled by thoughts of mosaic church ceilings, ancient palazzos, golden Madonnas, angels, auras and aureoles, God’s eye and Fellini’s memories, these new works also feature an emphasis on color.

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