minimalist - abstract - experimental
about the work
My paintings are abstract or non-representational, with a limited palette and content. I investigate how much – or how little – is required for colors, shapes and materials to reveal their essence and effect.
Following an intuitive approach, I strive for balance without losing tension, for reduction without becoming trivial, and am always fascinated by universal concepts of form, mass, proportion, rhythm, and structure. Influenced by modern art, everyday surroundings and nature, my main inspiration is an inner urge to find my own expression.
More recently, I've been working almost entirely with liquid media such as ink, watercolor, or diluted acrylic paint on high quality paper, as well as natural cotton or linen canvas. I investigate the impact of deep color spaces, sensitive lines and marks, and the dynamic interaction of the various players. Experimentation is an essential part of my artistic process, and I keep my senses open to coincidences and surprises.
My artworks are quiet reflections on the beauty of life and its fundamental simplicity. They are intended to provide a grounding experience and radiate a sense of calm, peace and serenity. An invitation to step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life for a brief moment of reflection and resonance, allowing the eyes to rest and the soul to linger.
about simone christen
Simone Christen was born and raised near Berne, Switzerland. Always a creative child, an exchange year in the USA during high school fostered her love for art. Back home, she completed a foundation year at the School of Design in Lucerne. However, her life path then led her to the University of Berne, where she earned an MBA in Geography, followed by working years in Digital Cartography and Graphic Design. An extended family phase took her to Barcelona, Lake Geneva area and the Basel region.
While painting and design have always been an important part of her life, in the last ten years they have come back into focus. Simone resumed her art education with a three-year art school degree, got her own studio and put all her time, energy and passion into exploring her artistic voice and creating art, that touches and nurtures the soul. In 2020 Simone moved with her husband and three teenage daughters to rural New Jersey, where she now lives and paints on a small horse farm.
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education
2017-20 studies at Visual Art School Basel, Switzerland
working experience in the field of digital cartography and graphic design
1997 MBA of Geography from University of Berne, Switzerland
1991/92 foundation year at School of Design Lucerne, Switzerland
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select exhibitions
2024 Affordable Art Fair, New York NY, USA
2024 Lille Art Up!, Lille, France
2024 Art Palm Beach, West Palm Beach FL, USA
2023 winter group show, Galérie Duret, Paris, France
2023 winter exhibition The Dream Salon, Art Mora Gallery, Ridgefield Park NJ, USA
2023 silent auction, Swiss Society of NY, Manhattan NY, USA
2023 Art Fair 14c, Jersey City NJ, USA
2023 Art on Paper, Manhattan NY, USA
2023 Seattle Art Fair, Seattle WA, USA
2023 group exhibition The Circle of Life, Art Mora Gallery, Ridgefield Park NJ, USA
2023 exhibition at PizzArte, Manhattan NY, USA
2023 Art Market San Francisco, San Francisco CA, USA
2022 18th Annual Small Works Show, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, USA
2022 Art Fair 14c, Jersey City NJ, USA
2022 duo exhibition, The Gallery at WellDesign, Mendham NJ, USA
2022 online group show Patterns, Textures & Forms, Special Recognition, Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery
2022 group show Little Treasures, Galleria de Marchi, Bologna, Italy
2022 solo exhibition true transparencies, Harmony Brookside, Mendham NJ, USA
2022 group show hygge , pour-d Gallery, Rockford MI, USA
2021 group show affordable art show, Harmony Brookside, Mendham NJ, USA
2021 group show modern archetypes, Galeria azur, Madrid, Spain
2021 online group show abstracted, ART FLUENT, Boston MA, USA
2021 festival Foundation Arts Fest 2021, Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts, Long Beach NJ, USA
2021 online group show While We Wait, Vacant Museum
2021 group show blooming, Kansas City Stockyards Gallery, Kansas City MO, USA
2021 online exhibition The Magic of Water, Cultural Center of Cape Cod MA, USA
2019 open studios Rheinfelden, Switzerland
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select galleries / collaborations
Gallery Art Mora, Ridgefield Park NJ, USA
CSM Art Gallery, Chatham NJ, USA
Area Environments, artist-driven wallcoverings, Minneapolis MN, USA
MB MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, USA
UTMB Women’s Clinic, Houston TX, USA
Hilton West Palm Beach FL, USA
Kollektion Wiedemann, Giesen, Germany
Equipoise Studio, Los Angeles CA. USA
Karmameju Skincare, Copenhagen, Denmark
Moderna Records, Montreal, Canada
Level57, Art Studio, Atlanta GA, USA
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select art blogs
2023 New & Abstract, Blog Art Radar, Five ‘questions to Simone Christen’
2023 AATONAU, Blog post, in-depth interview ‘Simone Christen: embracing minimalism in art’