MARTIN C. HERBST

About the works
For almost 20 years Martin C. Herbst’s art has been and still is defined by portraits brilliantly painted on metal surfaces. Their hypnotic, yet coolly distant beauty and optical tricks evoke the mannerist portrait painting of the XVI. century. Behind the distortion of Herbst’s convex and concave surfaces lies the detailed and constant research of the artist. Also, by repainting his subjects again and again, he transfigures them continuously and highlights different components of the subject’s personality by using different colours and surface effects. As a result, many of his figures embody complex mythological references and art historical provenances. Martin C. Herbst’s solo exhibitions are opening in many parts of the world, one after the other. His work has been shown in some of the most prestigious art fairs throughout the world and also in significant collections and private museums.
CV
Martin C. HERBST
1965, Salzburg (A)
Studies
1984 – 89
Painting Department – Hochschule Mozarteum, Salzburg (A)
Solo Exhibitions
2019
Essence – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
2018
FOCUS AUGUST – Le Royer, Montreal (CAN)
Hidden Treasures – Zemack Gallery, Tel-Aviv (IL)
2017
positions – BEGE Galerien, Ulm (D)
2015
Merten van Wenen – Wanrooij Gallery, Amsterdam (NL)
Wunderkammer – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
2014
take my eyes – Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto (CAN)
afterimage – Juan Ruiz Gallery, Miami (USA)
2013
Der Schöne Schein – GPL contemporary, Wien (A)
Wahre Illusion – Fischerplatzgalerie, Ulm (G)
Martin C. Herbst – Boloix Fine Arts, Idaho (USA)
2012
strange days, Jacob Karpio Gallery, San José (CR)
About the Existence and Appearance of the Word – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
2011
metamorphosis – Mark Hachem Gallery, Beirut (LBR)
Precious – Mark Hachem Gallery, Paris (FR)
2010
Traces – Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto (CAN)
garden of delights – Fischerplatzgalerei, Ulm (D)
me1tamorphosen – T-40 Galerie, Düsseldorf (D)
2009
Now it is Dying – Várfok Gallery – Várfok Hall, Budapest (H)
Ariodante – Mike Weiss Gallery, New York (USA)
2008
Judith 4. – Karpio Gallery, San José (CR)
2007
Das Archiv der Blicke – Fischerplatzgalerie, Ulm (D)
The Present of the Memory – Várfok Gallery – XO Hall, Budapest, (H)
speculum-spectaculum (catalogue) – MITO, Barcelona (E)
Inspired (by) – Leonhard Ruethmueller Contemporary, Basel (S)
2006
Pontormo – Rudolf Budja Gallery / Artmosphere, Graz (A)
2005
Rudolf Budja Galerie / Artmosphere, Salzburg (A)
angelus – Rudolf Budja Galerie / Artmosphere, Wien (A)
angelus und pomona – Rudolf Budja Galerie / Artmosphere, Salzburg (A)
2003
Faces – Surfaces (- Helmut Grill), Artmosphere, Wien (A)
2002
Artmosphere Graz – ORF (‚Die lange Nacht der Museen‘) (A)
Ein farbiger Blick in das Gesicht der Seele – Artmosphere, Graz (A)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019
ANTOHER DREAM – Zemack Gallery, Tel-Aviv (IL)
THE POWER OF THE PORTRAIT – Christian Marx Galerie, Düsseldorf (D)
2018
summer show 2018 – Zemack Gallery, Tel-Aviv (IL)
Black – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
The Art of Portrait – Boloix Fine Arts, Ketchum (USA)
Metall 3 – Porfzheim Galerie, Pforzheim (D)
2017
A cup of Sugar – Exhibit A Gallery, Corning, New York (USA)
Einfach GroßBARTig – Bege Galerien, Ulm (D)
2015
Eleven years – Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, Binghamton (USA)
2014
opening Amsterdam 2014 – Wanrooij Gallery, Amszterdam (NL)
30 Jahre Fischerplatzgalerie – Fischerplatzgalerie, Ulm (D)
2013
Winter Solstice Painting Extravaganza – Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto (CAN)
Body Variances, Five European Sculptors – CAP-Exhibition Space, Kuwait (KWT)
GrauRand – KunstPalais, Liechtenstein (LIE)
Diving Lines – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
Mark Hachem Gallery – Beirut, Libanon (LIB)
2012
Beyond Bling, The artist as Jeweler – Claire Oliver Gallery, New York (USA)
Die Jagd nach dem Zeitgenössischen – GPL Contemporary, Wien (A)
schwarzweiß weißschwarz – Fischerplatzgalerie, Ulm (D)
Christopher Cutts Gallery – Toronto (CAN)
In Attraction of Contrasts – REÖK Palace, Szeged (H)
2011
Figurative Kunst aus Österreich – Die Galerie, Frankfurt am Main (D)
Bakers Dozen – Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto (CAN)
TWENTY – FIVE – Fabian & Claude Walter Galerie, Zürich (S)
T-40, Düsseldorf (D)
Sommer-ARTigkeiten – Fischerplatzgalerie Ulm (D)
Jacob Karpio Who – Jacob Karpio Galeria, San José (CR)
No borders – Appeal to heaven – Dvořák Sec Contemporary, Prague (CZ)
Epilogue – Mark Hachem. Beirut (LIB)
2010
Crescendo – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
Life as a Legend – Marilyn Monroe, MOCA – Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville (USA)
neue und etablierte Positionen – GPL Contemporary, Wien (A)
2009
Scope New York 09 – Mike Weiss Gallery, New York (USA)
news+selection 5. anniversary – T-40 Galerie, Düsseldorf (D)
Chicago Art Fair – Mike Weiss Gallery, New York (USA)
Scope Basel 09 – Fabian&Claude Walter Galerie Zürich, Basel (S)
Scope Basel 09 – Jacob Karpio Galeria, San José (CR); Basel (S)
25th Gallery anniversary Fischerplatzgalerie, Ulm (D)
Scope Miami 09 – Mike Weiss Gallery, New York; Miami (USA)
2008
Budapest ArtFair – Várfok Gallery, Budapest (H)
Mis en abyme – Várfok Gallery – XO Hall, Budapest (H)
Art Madrid – MITO, Barcelona (E)
Art Karlsruhe – Fischerplatzgalerie (D)
Scope N.Y. – Mike Weiss Gallery (USA)
Art Brussels – Jacob Karpio Galeria, San José (CR); Brussels (B)
Scope Basel – Jacob Karpio Galeria, San José (CR); Basel (S)
Art Karlsruhe (a Fischerplatzgalerie-vel), Karlsruhe (D)
SPUR projects – Portola Valley, (USA)
Ganz schön ART-ig: LECKERBISSEN III – Fischerplatzgalerie, Ulm (D)
summer jam – T-40 Galerie, Düsseldorf (D)
Balelatina Basel – Jacob Karpio Galeria, San José (CR); Basel (S)
Scope Basel – Fabian&Claude Walter Galerie Zürich; Basel (S)
Works in Collections
Art Center Hugo Voeten, Herentals (B)
ESKFF (Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation), Jersey City (USA)
Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art, Istanbul (TR)
Abdhi Ibrahim Collection, Istanbul (TR)
FF (Füsun & Faruk Eczacibasi) collection Istanbul (TR)
Celebrity Art Collection, Miami (USA)
Marc LeBaron collection, Lincoln (USA)