Holly Halkes (b.1993) is a British artist based in London, whose work captures the complex, often contradictory, nature of contemporary life through a carnival of colour, humour, and surreal imagery.
Her paintings are an exploration of uninhibited human interactions and social dynamics, where fantasy and reality collide in unexpected ways. Each piece is a visual playground that examines the fluid relationship between self-identity and the environment, reflecting how our surroundings shape our experiences and emotions.
Through bold colours, lively energetic brushwork, and recurring motifs, Halkes invites viewers into moments of joy, spontaneity, and absurdity, while simultaneously hinting at underlying themes of vulnerability, tension, and internal conflict. Her work engages with the push-pull between our desires to connect with our anxieties, capturing the essence of modern existence with both wit and depth.
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“Holly Halkes is a vibrant force, reminiscent of an unhinged Nigella Lawson, creating culinary chaos on carnivalesque canvases, loaded with gusto. A gastronomic painter, she speaks to our early experiences in childhood as well as deep desires for reckless abandon. She hungrily spreads, scatters and smears paint onto canvas with an insatiable appetite that says something about who we are at the core in our culture of infinite consumption.” - Oli Epp, accompanying text ‘All the Things you Said, Running Through My Head’, at Albert Contemporary, Denmark
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EDUCATION
2019-2022 BA (Hons) Fine Art, City & Guilds of London Art School (First Class Honours)
2012-2016 BA (Hons) Fashion, Arts University Bournemouth
SELECTED SOLO SHOWS
Upcoming November 2025, Albert Contemporary, Denmark
April 2024 Until Everything’s Forgotten, Better Go South residency show, Berlin, Germany
December 2023 All The Things You Said, Running Through My Head, Albert Contemporary, Denmark,
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Upcoming September - Extended Blooming, Room 57, New York, US
May - Albert Contemporary - Copenhagen, Denmark
May - London Art Services, London, UK
2024
November- Swap, Garna Gallery, Madrid, Spain
August - Enter Art Fair, Albert Contemporary, Copenhagen, Denmark
February - Grand 2.0 Opening, Albert Contemporary, Denmark,
2023
September - Papier,Delphian Gallery
June - The Last Slice, Badr El Jundi, Madrid, Spain
June - Cross Breeze, One Room Gallery, curated by Domenico De Chirico, London, UK
June - I Like It What Is It?, Albert Contemporary, curated by Claus Risvig, Denmark,
March - And They Lived Sadly Ever After, Tube Culture Hall, Milan, Italy
March - Fantastic Figures, Better Go South, Stuttgart, Germany
January - London Art Fair, Artistellar Gallery, London, UK
2022
November - Spectrum,The Paperwork Show, Better Go South, Stuttgart, Germany
July- Sickly Sweet, City & Guilds of London Art School Degree Show, London, UK
July - Life In Colour, Hew Hood Gallery London, UK
May - Return To Flesh, Hew Hood Gallery, London, UK
2021
August - 1st & 2nd Year Interim Show - Intersection AMP Studios, London, UK
MUSEUM SHOWS
September 2023 SuperKraut curated by Tim Bengal at StadPalais, Stuttgart, Germany
PRESS
July 2024 - “Painting with energy: interview with Holly Halkes” - Art Hub
April 2024 - “Gallery Weekend Berlin 2024 Highlights” - The Columbist Berlin
April 2024 - “ In Conversation With London Based Artist Holly Halkes, About Her Art Practice and Upcoming Show” - Overstandard, Denmark
Dec 2023- “Holly Halkes- All The Things You Said Running Through My Head” Art Matter, Denmark
June 2023 - "The Last Slice" artistically explores gastronomy as a social ritual - Tapas, Spain
RESIDENCES
February 2024 Better Go South, Berlin, Germany
Nov 2023 Micheal Kvium Studio, Odense, Denmark
AWARDS
Dec 2023, Enter Art Fair Curated Choice - Curators Choice, Copenhagen, Denmark
2023 Winner of the Delphian Gallery Open Call, London
2015 Knyttan Industry Prize at LFW for Creative Design, London
PUBLICATIONS
Artists by Brynley Odu Davies, Trolley Books