Frida Wannerberger
Born 1989, Sweden
Lives and works in London, UK
Frida Wannerberger (b. 1989, Sweden) graduated from the Masters Painting Programme at the Royal College of Art in 2023 and earned her BA in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins, UAL in 2013. Following her bachelors, Frida's work was mostly informed by an interest in the act of dressing; one’s ability to transform one’s perceived identity is pivotal to Frida’s exploration of the power dynamics between men and women. Following her MA at the RCA, Frida continued to investigate the juxtaposition between docility and agency, referencing classic literature such as Alice in Wonderland and contemporary era defining post-feminist culture. It’s at the Royal College of Art that Frida experimented with scale, bringing a new body of work which investigates the dichotomy of image and representation.
Frida Wannerberger’s work 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.
EDUCATION
2023 MA Painting, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2013 BA Graphic Design, Central Saint Martins, London, UK
2009 Foundation Diploma Art And Design, Central Saint Martins, London, UK
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2026 ‘The Dinosaur Tree,’ LBF Contemporary, London, UK (Solo)
2025 ‘Two,’ Haricot Gallery, London, UK (Group)
2024 ‘Into the Sunset with You,’ Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, China (Solo)
2024 ‘Soho Residency Showcase,’ Sarah Kravitz Gallery, London, UK (Group)
2024 ‘10 Years Anniversary Charity Auction, Art on a Postcard,’ Gathering Gallery, London, UK (Group)
2024 ‘On Grace and Monsters,’ D Contemporary, London, UK (Group)
2024 ‘Presentation,’ Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh, UK (Group)
2024 ‘Art 021,’ Tang Contemporary, Hong Kong, China (Fair)
2024 ‘Art Central,’ Eyecandies, Hong Kong, China (Fair)
2023 ‘Take Me, I’m Yours,’ Haricot Gallery, London, UK (Solo)
2023 ‘Art 021,’ Eyecandies Gallery, Shanghai, China (Fair)
2023 ‘Inquiry to the Wall, Soul Art Center,’ Beijing, China (Group)
2023 ‘Adjacent Colours,’ D Contemporary, London, UK (Group
2023 ‘Traces of Light,’ Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, China (Group)