Bio
Drange was born on May 24, 1983 in Köthen (Anhalt), Germany. He studied at the International Center of Photography in New York and at the Art Students League of New York. Drange received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 2015 and a master’s degree in painting in 2019 at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg to pursue, and later obtained his from the same university.
Drange is best known for his use of digital found-objects in post-digital paintings of contemporary influencers and social media symbolism. He depicts online images and transforms them into classical oil paintings, often on large canvas. As a statement on authorship and originality, Drange doesn’t paint any of his artwork. Instead, he creates sketches from various digital found-objects and sends them to an oil painting factory in China, where they are painted by hand on large-scale canvas. The amalgamation of selfies, emojies and other depictions of social media symbols are central to all of Drange’s works.
Drange’s work has appeared in several exhibitions and magazines such as the Kunstforum International, Numéro, Weserburg, and the Benaki Museum, as well as the exhibition “Link in Bio” at MDBK Leipzig and the international group show “The artist is online” at Galerie König.
© Vedad Divovic
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2022 HET PORTRET, Het Leienpaleis, group exhibition, Antwerp, Belgium
2022 Die Klasse Anselm Reyle, Galerie Noah, group exhibition, Augsburg, Germany
2021 #LIKE4LIKE, Plan X Art Gallery, solo exhibition, Milan, Italy
2021 DIREKTE AUKTION, Ostdeutsche Kunstauktionen, art auction, Berlin, Germany
2021 NFTism: NO FEAR IN TRYING, Unit London, group exhibition, London, UK
2021 DIAMONDS & BUTTERFLIES, Falko Alexander Galerie, solo exhibition, Köln, Germany
2021 MISA, Messe St. Agnes, KÖNIG Galerie, art fair, Berlin, Germany
2021 INTERLEAVING, Falko Alexander Galerie, group exhibition, Köln, Germany
2021 VANITY, Tick Tack, solo exhibition, Antwerp, Belgium
2021 THE ARTIST IS ONLINE, KÖNIG Galerie, group exhibition, Berlin, Germany
2020 DER RIVER, Baumwollspinnerei, group exhibition, Leipzig, Germany
2020 LINK IN BIO, Museum für bildende Künste, group exhibition, Leipzig, Germany
2019 NEW PAINTINGS, Hochschule für bildende Künste graduation exhibition, Hamburg, Germany
2019 CLASS OF ANSELM REYLE, Hochschule für bildende Künste, annual exhibition, Hamburg, Germany
2018 CLASS OF ANSELM REYLE, Hochschule für bildende Künste, annual exhibition, Hamburg, Germany
2017 ARTIST´S BOOKS FOR EVERYTHING, Zentrum für Künstlerpublikationen, Weserburg, Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen, Germany
2017 KLEINE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR PROFANE RELIQUIEN, Kleine Gesellschaft für Kunst und Kultur, Hamburg, Germany
2016 KONFORM, group exhibition, Lemgo, Germany
2016 WIMMELBILDER, Hochschule für bildende Künste, annual exhibition, Hamburg, Germany
2014 PHOTO BASTEI, Photo Bastei, group exhibition, Zürich, Switzerland
2013 RAUM1, F40, group exhibition, Berlin, Germany
2012 DIE HAUT DER STADT, Fenster61, solo exhibition, Berlin, Germany
2012 NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS, New York Photo Festival, group exhibition, Brooklyn, New York, USA
2012 PASSAGES, Salon Separee, solo exhibition, Berlin, Germany
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2017 RELICS, 112 pp., 97 ills., Hatje Cantz Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7757-4362-4
2015 HECHO EN SOCIALISMO – SOCIALISM TODAY IN VENEZUELA, 160 pp., 149 ills., Kerber Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7356-0096-7
2014 NYPH Journal, Volume 1, TIME IN SPACE, powerHouse Books, ISBN 978-1-5768-7664-0
EDUCATION
2019 MFA from Hochschule für bildende Künste (HFBK), Hamburg, Germany
2017 BFA from University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (HFBK), Hamburg, Germany
2015-19 studies at University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (HFBK), Hamburg, Germany
2013-14 studies at Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (HGB), Leipzig, Germany
2007-08 studies at School of the International Center of Photography (ICP), New York, USA
2007-08 studies at Art Students League of New York, USA