Francis Berry. Biografia

Born in Denver in 1957 and raised in Switzerland, Francis Berry returned to the USA in 1977 and settled in San Francisco. In 1990 after pursuing Bay Area figurative-style work throughout the 80's, he received a Jerome Foundation Fellowship at the Kala Art Institute, Berkeley. At that point he embarked on a new direction to find his own voice, integrating surrealism, cubism, and funk art into a rich synthesis. Francis Berry's paintings and drawings embody contemporary sensibilities typical of postmodern art. His mosaic-like compositions emphasize the emotional dimension of things rather than their objective appearance to convey a heightened sense of self-conscious subjectivity. Work emblematic of doubt, such as "Search," seems to ask to what end Western sophistication leads. Blurred cultural boundaries surface in surrealistic, cubist, funk, and folk amalgamations setting each other off against rich color passages. On the surface, Berry's work is accessible, humorous, and lush. Deeper, one can feel an undercurrent of critical consciousness and spiritual aspiration.

One-man and Group Exhibitions
2005 Natural World Museum, UN World Environment Day 2005, Urban Jungle, San Francisco, California
1994 UC Berkeley Museum of Art, Science and Culture, Blackhawk, California
1993 San Francisco Bay Area's Fine Art Presses, San Francisco, California
1993 Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences, 24th Bradley National, Peoria, Illinois
1989 Introduction '89 artist, Maxwell Galleries, Ltd., San Francisco, California
1986 American Institute of Architects Gallery, Santa Clara, California
1985 II Cabo Frio, International Print Biennale, Cabo Frio, Brazil

Awards and Honors
2004 Academia Internazionale Greci-Marino, Academia Del Verbano: Honorary Art Degree
1990 Jerome Foundation Fellowship

(da francisberry.com)