Kinga Bartis

Kinga Bartis was born in Transylvania, as part of the Hungarian minority in Romania, but grew up in a historically and politically divided Hungary. Bartis earned a master’s degree in political science in Budapest before beginning her artistic training in Copenhagen, where Bartis still lives and works today.

Her upbringing, as a kind of nomad on foreign soil, and her need to belong are reflected in a wistful tone in her works – but always fused with hope. For while the figures may seem melancholic, they always embrace each other. Bartis’ works speak to us at a time when both nature and the human mind are under pressure. The vulnerability of the outside world is reflected in our inner world in different ways.

Bartis graduated with an MFA from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen in 2018. Prior to that Bartis also studied at the Corvinus University, Budapest (2009) as well as the Umeå Art Academy in Umeå, Sweden (2017).

Bartis approach to painting lies outside the boundaries of the classic school of the medium. Eschewing labels, Bartis envisions painting as a means of breaking free from the habitual relationship of defining and redefining of our existence — Bartis chooses to instead look towards a more multidisciplinary and open approach.

Bartis work is represented in the following collections: Museet for Religiøs Kunst / The Museum of Religious Art, Lemvig, Denmark; Arken Museum of Contemporary Art, Ishøj, Denmark; X Museum, Beijing; Trapholt Museum for Modern Art and Design, Kolding, Denmark; Brandts Art Museum, Odense, Denmark; Statens Kunstfond / The Danish Art Council, Denmark; and Københavns Commune / Copenhagen Municipality.

Bartis work has been featured in the following solo exhibitions: Archway Nightlands Connector Jennifee-See Alternate, Copenhagen, The Earthlings and the Otherworlders (2019); Mural on Valby Hallen, Copenhagen (2020); Outpost Gallery, Copenhagen, Deep, deep down - Far, far in (2021); Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, Irregulars. Beyond The Current (2021); Tranen Space for Contemporary Art, Hellerup, Denmark, Shores of Selves (2022); Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark, Growing Soft Hearts in Glimmer and Sweat, Kinga Bartis (2022); Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, While Away (2023); Galerie Marguo, Paris, In a one (2024); Art Museum Brandts, Odense, Denmark, Closelings (2025).

To this could be added the following group exhibitions: Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, MFA Degree Show (2018); Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium, Masters Salon Painting 2018 (2018); Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling, Copenhagen (2019); Alice Folker Gallery, Copenhagen, Julesalon (2019); PADA + Turps Banana London, Lisbon (2019); Kunsthal Ved Siden Af, Svendborg, Denmark, Denne Universets Mave (2019); Galleri Bo Bjerggaard, Copenhagen, Bestseller (2019); Mural on Valby Hallen, Copenhagen, curated by Jens-Peter Brask (2020); All Mouth Gallery and Bowes-Paris Gallery, London, Curated for Christmas, charity auction (2020); Galleri Tom Christoffersen, Copenhagen, 14.8×21 (2020); OTP Copenhagen, Deep Dream (2020); Perelin, Nattens Skov, Copenhagen, kolonihaveforeningen Grænsen (2020); Udstillingsstedet Sydhavn Station, Copenhagen, Bad Girl Painting (2020); Udstillingsstedet Sydhavn Station, Copenhagen, 12 Hours, Shift (2020); PADA Studios, Lisbon, SALAT DAYS (2020); PADA Studios, Lisbon, Not Yet, No (2020); OK Corral, Copenhagen, Some Days Last a Long Time (2020); Casinot XXH, Malmö, Sweden, Works on Paper (2020); Gallery Kunstsalonen, Copenhagen, Frederiks Salonen (2020); Rønnebæksholm, Næstved, Denmark, Soil. Sickness. Society (2021); eastcontemporary, Les Danses Nocturnes, Milan, Italy (2021); Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, The Autumn Show (2021); Copenhagen Contemporary, Copenhagen, Dangerous When Wet (2022); Museet For Religiøs Kunst, Lemvig, Denmark, Vera Icon (2022); Vandrehallen, Hillerød, Denmark, At Være Til (2022); Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen, Københavnerstykker (2022); Sophienholm Kunsthal, Copenhagen, Metamorphoser (2022); Sol Nexø, Bornholm, Denmark, Bodies of Water (2023); Eighteen Gallery, Copenhagen, The Fool’s Journey (2024); Rønnebæksholm, Næstved, Denmark, Hestens fortællinger (2024); Lunds Konsthall, Lund, Sweden, Near to the Wild Heart (2024); Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, Post Human (2024); Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva, Lahti, Finland, Transformations (2025); and Fuglsang Kunstmuseum, Toreby, Denmark, Other Body (2025).