Anne von Freyburg

Anne von Freyburg

Anne von Freyburg (*1979, Velp, The Netherlands) is a London-based artist whose work challenges the traditional boundaries between fine art and craft, rethinking the role of textiles and decoration in contemporary art. Her practice delves into the intersection of femininity, beauty, and material culture, reinterpreting historical references—particularly Rococo art—through the lens of contemporary textile techniques. By combining tapestry, fashion fabrics, and painting, von Freyburg confronts societal notions of beauty, femininity, and the hierarchical structures of art.

Exploring Constructed Beauty
Von Freyburg’s work draws heavily on Rococo portraits, deconstructing the idealized depictions of women by artists like Fragonard and Boucher. In an era dominated by image-obsessed culture and evolving beauty standards, she questions how female identity is constructed through the female gaze. Her intricate use of textiles, including quilted fabrics, snake print, lace, and faux leather, symbolizes contemporary materials such as Botox or plastic surgery, distorting and reshaping these classical depictions. For von Freyburg, this exploration of opulence and excess parallels modern consumerism and self-indulgence, making her work a reflection on the evolving nature of identity in the digital age.

Textiles as a Narrative Tool
In her work, textiles become both a conceptual and material force. Von Freyburg’s use of fabrics—ranging from Rococo-style tapestries to modern fashion materials—bridges the gap between high and low art, craft, and fine art. By collaging fabrics onto painted canvases, she reclaims textiles and decorations as vital elements in art-making, celebrating their material qualities and historical significance. Through this technique, she challenges the gendered associations of textiles as feminine and frivolous, bringing them to the forefront of her visual language. Her work serves as a critique of fast fashion and consumer culture while also celebrating the tactile, sensuous nature of materials.

Inspiration and Studio Practice
Von Freyburg’s background in fashion design has profoundly influenced her practice. After studying fashion at ArtEZ University in Arnhem (1997–2001), she transitioned into fine art, recognizing that textiles and craft could be powerful vehicles for conceptual expression. Her process involves an intuitive approach to collaging fabrics, often manipulating Rococo paintings using Photoshop to create blueprints for her pieces. The layering of fabrics is an organic process that allows her to explore the possibilities of color, texture, and print, continuously pushing the boundaries of what textiles can achieve in fine art.

Daily Routine and Studio Life
Working between her home and studio in South London, von Freyburg spends much of her time sewing and collaging fabrics onto painted canvases. Her routine combines hands-on fabric work and digital manipulation, where she sources and reinterprets historical imagery. This blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology allows her to explore the formal aspects of her work while challenging preconceived notions of femininity and beauty.

Education

• 2014–2016 Master of Fine Arts, Goldsmiths University of London

• 1997–2001 Bachelor in Fashion Design, ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem

• 2014 Ecole Lesage, Paris – Haute Couture Embroidery (Levels 1 and 2)

Residency

• 2021 October-November Cob. X PLOP Residency London

• 2018-2019 Florence Trust Residency London

Competitions

• 2022 Tsivrikos Shake Art Award 2022

• 2021 Winner of The Robert Walters UK New Artist Award Of The Year

• 2021 Ingram Prize shortlist

• 2019 Jackson Painting Prize shortlist London

• 2016 Art Gemini Prize shortlist London

Grants

• 2014 Stichting Heij-Konijn Fonds

• 2014 Stichting Niemeijer Fonds

Exhibitions

• 2025 Filthy Cute Solo show, Saatchi Gallery London

• 2025 Flowers-Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture, Saatchi Gallery London

• 2024 SOFT!, Rademakers Gallery, Amsterdam, Group show 

• 2024 Fabric of life, Vortic Art, Paul Smith London, Group show
• 2024 Summer Slang, K contemporary Denver, USA, Group show
• 2024 Solo Show, Yellow Corner/ HOFA Gallery, Monaco

• 2024 Standing on The Shoulders of Giants, Saatchi Gallery London, Group show

• 2024 Debut Show, "Violets are Blue and the Mirror is You", K contemporary Denver, USA

• 2024 Solo Show HOFA Gallery, London, UK
• 2024 "Dream Keepers", Szydlowski Gallery, Warsaw, PL, Group show
• 2023 Ki Smith Gallery, NYC, USA

• 2023 Eleven Twenty-Three, St Bartholomew the Great Church, London, Group show

• 2023 Miniartextile 32 Como, Italy

• 2023 Art Buson Seoul, Hofa Gallery
• 2023 Art Basel Hongkong, Art Central, HOFA Gallery

• 2023 Art the Hague, Art Fair, o-68 Gallery, Velp, NL

• 2022 Art Miami, Art Fair, HOFA Gallery, London

• 2022 Exhibition Robert Walters UK New Artists Award 2022 Saatchi Gallery London

• 2022-2023 17th Tapestry Triennal, Centrale Textile Museum, Lodz, Poland, Group show
• 2022 "Go Figure", Daniel Raphael Gallery, London, Group show
• 2022 "Salon" Tsivrikos Shake Gallery, London, Group show
• 2022 Duo Exhibition with Rinke Nijburg, o-68 Gallery Velp, NL
• 2022 "Fragile" Letrangere Gallery, London, Ul, Group show

• 2021 Exhibition Robert Walters UK New Artists Award 2021 Saatchi Gallery London

• 2021 Ingram Prize exhibition

• 2021 End of Residency show PLOP x Cob.gallery, London
• 2021 ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Gallery, London
• 2021 "Focus on the Female", Cynthia Corbett Gallery and Young Masters, London, UK
• 2021 "Skin Deep", James Freeman Gallery, London, UK, Duo Exhibition
• 2020 Zerp Gallery, Rotterdam, NL, Group Show
• 2019 Zerp Gallery, Rotterdam, NL, Group Show

• 2019 Florence Trust Summer Show, Florence Trust, London

• 2018 "Rebel Without a Case", Zerp Gallery, Rotterdam, NL, Solo Exhibition
• 2016 Tactile Bosch, Cardiff, Wales, UK, Group show
• 2016 Art Gemini Prize, Asia House, London, Group show
• 2014 Houses of Art Marbella, Spain, Solo exhibition
• 2013 Symbiosis, Zerp Gallery, Rotterdam, NL, Solo exhibition