FEDELE MAURA FRIEDE

In the exhibition the hem comes undone, the Hamburger Kunsthalle is presenting works on paper, texts and large-format paintings by the artist Fedele Maura Friede (b. 1997 in Holzminden), the 2024 winner of the prestigious Horst Janssen Graphic Art Prize of the Claus Hüppe Foundation, awarded at the Kunsthalle. Friede is the 8th winner of the most generously funded prize for artists working with drawing and printing, which is endowed with 20,000 euros and linked with an exhibition and publication. The aim is to promote young artists and new positions in graphic art in cooperation with German universities and academies.

Fedele Maura Friede deals in her work with space and landscapes, ranging between microcosms and sweeping panoramas. Her works hint at a hidden narrative without being too literal or following a set story. To achieve this, she makes use of various forms of expression that combine drawing in a broader sense with writing, allowing them to enter into a dialogue. The quality of her images lies in their inherent disorientation: Her drawings are constructed and legible from all angles of the sheet of paper. With their map-like lines and folds, Friede’s works elude a rigid structure so that the perspective constantly shifts. The lines create a social space in which varied types of perception can unfold.

About the artist

Fedele Maura Friede lives and works in Leipzig, where she completed her studies (2016–2024) at the Academy of Fine Arts with distinction. She has been studying at the University of Leipzig’s Institute of Cultural Studies since 2020.

In honour of the draughtsman, graphic artist, author, poster artist, illustrator and photographer Horst Janssen (1929–1995), the Horst Janssen Graphic Art Prize has been awarded every three years since 2003 and presented since 2021 at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, which houses the world’s largest collection of Janssen’s works.