Holger Kalberg

• Master of Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art University of the Arts London UK 2007
• Bachelor’s degree Fine Arts, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design May 2001
• Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Alberta 1998-1999
• University of Duisburg, Germany Major English Literature 1991-1992

I see painting as an instrument for ideas, my work combines elements of art historical and contemporary cultural influences, creating work about the human condition. What draws me to painting is how it falls in and out of language and how the image evolves on the canvas.

I am interested in how the outside world is being layered or folded into the painting over time.

The recent paintings show figures in interpersonal exchanges or degrees of alienation and withdrawal. Many of the recent work involve portraiture and narrative situations that are created from a variety of source materials,

The work itself becomes a way to confront my preconceived ideas. It is a way for me to connect thoughts, observations, and ideas with material. Painting becomes a negotiation between intention and materiality.

The concept of uncertainty or not knowing is closely tied to the painting process. This involves the accumulation and collaging of genres, painting languages and references onto the canvas. The overpainted versions of the painting are often scraped and reworked to reveal previous images and ‘mistakes’, creating a cannibalized final version that references slowness and time.

Holger Kalberg, born in Germany, lives and works in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He graduated from Emily Carr University in 2001 and received an MFA from Chelsea School of Art in London in 2007. Recent exhibitions include “Reconfiguring Abstraction” at the School of Art Gallery (2013), “Paint” at Vancouver Art Gallery (2007), as well as shows in Agnes Etherington Gallery at Queens University, Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver, Clark and Faria in Toronto, Gallery Bertrand & Gruner in Geneva, Switzerland and Gallerie Hellebrand in Duisburg Germany. He was shortlisted for the RBC Painting Competition in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and is a juror for the 2013 competition. He received a Canada Council Production Grant in 2006, BC Arts Council grants, as well as University of Manitoba Creative Works Grant in 2013. Kalberg’s work can be found in collections in Germany, Switzerland, US, UK and Canada.  

Holger Kalberg is represented by Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver.

• Research Leave Grant University of Manitoba 2020
• Research Leave Grant University of Manitoba 2015
• Creative Works Grant University of Manitoba 2015
• Creative Works Grant University of Manitoba 2013
• Finalist Celeste Art Prize London May 2007
• Canada Council Production Grant 2007
• Finalist RBC Canadian Art Painting Award 2006
• Finalist RBC Canadian Art Painting Award 2005
• Finalist RBC Canadian Art Award 2002
• BC Arts Council Production Grant April 2004
• Short-listed for Royal Bank Canadian Painting Award 2002, Western Canada Finalist
• Mary Plum Blade Award for Painting 2001 Graduation Emily Carr Institute

‘Sink/swim’ Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver May 14-June 18, 2022

New Works’ Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver May 9 -June2 2020

‘I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me to see me looking back at you.’

Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver March 8 –April 3, 2018

‘The colony portraits’ Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver Nov2- Dec3 2016

‘The Colony” Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, AB June24-Sept11 2016

‘The family’ Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver Aug16-Sept 13, 2014

‘New Work’ Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver August 21 –Sept2, 2013

‘And then it was now’ Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver June 16-July 14, 2012

‘Surface’ Monte Clark Gallery Toronto, Ontario June 18, 2011 -July 17, 2011

Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver, September 2010

Paintings /Collage Clark and Faria Gallery, Toronto June 2010

‘Stadiem’ Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University Kingston Ont. Feb 21 –May 2009

‘Parallax ‘Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver Oct15 –Nov 15, 2008

‘Neubau‘Monte Clark Gallery Toronto Canada Feb 16- March 15 2008

William Goodenough House MFA Works, London UK   Nov 2007

‘Makeshift’ Galerie Bertrand+ Gruner, Geneva, Switzerland Feb 4- March 30 2006

‘Paintings’ Monte Clark Gallery Toronto, Canada   Jan 26 -Feb 28, 2006

‘Habitat’ Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver, Canada Feb 15 -March 25, 2005

 ‘Watercolours’ Monte Clark Gallery Toronto, Canada Jan 31-Mar 7, 2004

‘Painting’ Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver, Canada Oct 4-Oct 30, 2003

‘Sideways ‘Galerie Hellebrand   Duisburg, Germany May9-June1 2003

’Peripheral Real Estate’, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, Canada Nov 2002

‘Supermodern’, Gallery Hellebrand, Duisburg, Germany, Oct-Nov 2001

Art Toronto Oct 27-30, 2023, International Art fair

Objects of Affection, Curator Max King Cave Gallery Vancouver, BC Sept 16 -Oct 7^th 2023

Per Diem: The Gerd Metzdorff Collection, Griffin Art Projects, Curator Linda Baldisseri  North Vancouver May 27 – Aug 27 2023

‘A portrait of spirits’ Bark Berlin Gallery, Berlin Germany April 1 -April 22, 2022

September’ Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver, Sept 17-Oct 24, 2020

‘The Poetics of Space’ Kelowna Art Gallery Feb2 – May 5^th, 2019, curated by Curator Daina Augaitis, Chief Curator Emerita, and Assistant Curator Emmy Lee Wall

Group exhibition Artist Residence San Ramon, Costa Rica Feb 2016

‘The Poetics of space’ Vancouver Art Gallery Feb 7-May18 2015 curated by Chief Curator Daina Augaitis and Assistant Curator Emmy Lee Wall

‘Out of Sight’, Vancouver Art Gallery, March 29^th-Sept1 ,2014 curated by Stephanie Rebick

‘The Hot 100’ Paddle8 Auction House, New York City April 16^th –April 30^th 2014   Curated auction will feature 100 of the top, international artists.  Partial proceeds for the Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation, New York

Cindy Sherman meets Dzunuk’wa: Satellite Gallery, Vancouver March 2014: curated by Karen Duffek (Museum of Anthropology, UBC), Helga Pakasaar (Presentation House Gallery), Cate Rimmer (Charles H. Scott Gallery, ECUAD), and Keith Wallace (Belkin Gallery, UBC).  March 2014

Group Exhibition Monte Clark Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Jan 28-_Feb 28^th 2013

‘Reconfiguring Abstraction’ School of Art Gallery University of Manitoba, Curated by Mary Reid

Nov 2012-Jan 2013

 ‘Cut and Paste “Equinox Project Space, Curated by Andy Sylvester, Vancouver June 2-July 14^th, 2012

‘Pulp Friction’ Intellectual Property, Toronto, Ontario Curated by Steve Roufas Dec 2011

Faculty Exhibition Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Alberta March 2011

‘Landscape’ Monte Clark Gallery Vancouver January 8, 2011- February 6, 2011

‘Winter Salon ‘Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver, Dec 10 – Jan 10, 2010

Holger Kalberg & Kristine Moran
Monte Clark Gallery
Sept. 23 - Oct. 30, 2010

‘Clark and Faria Presents’ Clark &Faria, Toronto May 14 – June 14, 2009

‘Works on paper’ Galerie Betrand &Gruner, Geneva, Switzerland Jan 16 –Feb 15, 2008

Master’s degree Show Chelsea College of Art London, UK Oct 2007

‘Rite of Passage’ Michael West Gallery, curated by Kieren Reed Newport UK July 2007

Celeste Art Prize 2007 Edinburgh UK June 4 - 11 2007

Celeste Art Prize 2007 Finalist Old Truman Brewery Complex, London UK 21- 27 May 2007

' Paint’ 7 New Painters Vancouver Art Gallery Vancouver B.C. Oct6 2006- Feb 25, 2007

15 Finalist Canadian Art Award MOCCA Toronto Sept 2005

‘Reciprocal Influences’, Monte Clark Gallery Toronto Sep 17 –Oct 20, 2004

Canadian Art Painting competition: A five-year retrospective RBC Financial   Vancouver, April 2004

‘Stills’ Malerei und Zeichnung Nov 21 –Dec 31 2003 Galerie Hellebrand, Duisburg Germany

‘Collector’ Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver March 15 - April 3, 2003

‘RBC Painting Award Show, Trepanier Baer Gallery, Calgary, Alberta Oct 2002

“Kulturwochenende’ Innenhafen, Kulturzentrum Duisburg, Germany Aug 2002

Group Exhibition, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, B.C. June 2002

‘Welcome to the desert of the real’ Faculty /Alumni show, Concourse Gallery ECIAD

Curated by Randy Lee Cutler and Sharon Kahanoff, Feb2002

‘Fuse’ Concourse Gallery ECIAD Vancouver Feb 2000