Charleston-based artist Chris Frick will present her newest body of work during a private, invitation-only showcase Saturday, Sept. 26, at Villa Hemingway on Folly Beach.
The event will give guests their first look at the complete collection, which brings together two connected bodies of work: “Lowcountry” and “Place & Figure.”
Frick’s work begins with a question: How does a place slowly become part of who we are? Since moving from Germany to Charleston, she has increasingly focused on the South Carolina coast and the subtle ways people’s surroundings influence them over time.
In her “Lowcountry” paintings, Frick draws inspiration from the region’s heat, water, marshes, coastal light, barrier islands and everyday impressions of life around Charleston.
Rather than depicting the landscape literally, she works from what remains with her after spending time in a place. Recognizable elements may appear, but they are often reduced, fragmented or absorbed into fields of color, texture and expressive marks.
In “Place & Figure,” the human figure enters that same visual world. Figures appear within abstracted spaces, exploring the relationship between people and their surroundings. The distinction between figure and place is sometimes clear and sometimes deliberately uncertain, reflecting how an environment can gradually become part of a person’s sense of self.
Across both bodies of work, Frick moves between abstraction and recognizable forms. Her paintings are created through layers of acrylic, texture, color and marks, allowing traces of the South Carolina coast to remain without becoming traditional landscapes.
“I don’t paint the landscape itself; I paint what stays with me after spending time there,” Frick said.
Together, “Lowcountry” and “Place & Figure” direct attention toward the places people inhabit and, through those places, toward themselves.
The complete collection will remain largely unrevealed until the September showcase.
For more information, visit chrisfrick.art or follow @chrisfrickart on Instagram.
About Chris Frick
Chris Frick is a German-born, Charleston-based artist working primarily in acrylic. She is represented by Simpatico Gallery in Charleston and by Mary Praytor Gallery in Greenville, and she maintains a studio on Broad Street in downtown Charleston.