2021 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant

I'm thrilled to announce that I have been awarded a 2021 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant!

Special thanks to the jury that believed in my work!

Thank you to the 3 amazing women who took time out of their lives and wrote incredible letters of support.

Thank you Rebecca J. Ritzel!

Thank you Sondra N. Arkin!

Thank you Andrea Pollan!

@pollockkrasnerfoundation

In support of Lee Krasner’s mission to advance the work of visual artists, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation is honored to provide support to the growing list nearly 5,000 #PKFGrantees who have received nearly $79 million across 78 countries to-date.

#PollockKrasnerFoundation • #PKF • #PKFGrantee • #LeeKrasner • #VisualArtists

#annaudavis #frocasian

Lee Krasner in Hans Hoffman’s studio, early 1940s. Photo ©Robert E. Mates and Paul Katz. Lee Krasner artwork ©Pollock-Krasner Foundation/ARS. Image courtesy of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Lee Krasner in Hans Hoffman’s studio, early 1940s. Photo ©Robert E. Mates and Paul Katz. Lee Krasner artwork ©Pollock-Krasner Foundation/ARS. Image courtesy of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Anna U Davis on "Sverige!" - a television program focused on the arts & culture in Sweden.

Sverige! Säsong 22 - Lör 24 aug 02.00

Saga Becker blev historisk när hon som första transperson vann en Guldbagge. I Sverige! berättar hon om sin debutroman. Den svenska konstnären Anna U Davis ställer ut i Skandinavien för första gången på 20 år och så skildras historien om Lundastudenten som hjälpte östtyskar att fly till väst, men som själv greps av Stasi. Programledare: Fredrik Önnevall.

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Washington Post & MORE

Today in The Washington Post. Review of my solo exhibition "Witnesses" at House of Sweden in Washington DC written by Mark Jenkins. On display until March 11, 2018.

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I am reaching out to share a unique opportunity for women in the DC area. Vital Voices Global Partnership will be hosting the annual Global Mentoring Walk in Washington, D.C.  on March 10th at the House of Sweden at 8:30 – 11:00am. As members of DC’s professional network of women, we believe that this is a perfect opportunity for you and members of your community to empower women leaders at all levels.

 The Global Mentoring Walks convene established and emerging women leaders to walk together in their communities around the world every year. As they walk, each established leader guides, advises and supports an emerging leader as they discuss personal and professional challenges and triumphs. Held on the same day in countries around the world in celebration of International Women’s Day, the Global Mentoring Walks are a movement for women’s empowerment through paying it forward and knowledge sharing. Hosted this year at the House of Sweden, featured speakers will include the Swedish Ambassador, Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter and esteemed artist, Anna U Davis.

 We are still accepting participants to serve as both mentees and mentors! Mentors are women leaders who are established in their industry and looking to give back and help the next generation of women leaders reach their full potential. Mentees are emerging women leaders who are in the early stages of her career, ideally between the ages of 15 and 25. Those who are interested can sign up here: https://www.vitalvoices.org/dc-registration/

 We would greatly appreciate it if you would share this opportunity with the women in your community. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at mentoringwalk@vitalvoices.org.

 

 

 

 

Anna U. Davis, Sad Girl, 2017, mixed media on cut‐out birch plywood, 43 x 43 1⁄2 inches. Courtesy of Galerie Myrtis 

You’re Invited to a Panel Discussion with two Breakthrough Swedish Artists Anna U Davis and Carolina Falkholt

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You’re Invited to a Panel Discussion with two Breakthrough Swedish Artists Anna U Davis and Carolina Falkholt

December 5, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm in House of Sweden. Doors open 6:30 pm. Event starts 7:00 pm.
The panel discussion will be followed by a reception.

In collaboration with International Arts & Artists, the Embassy of Sweden proudly invites you to a panel discussion in honor of two of Sweden’s finest contemporary artists: Anna U Davis, whose exhibition “Witnesses” is on display in House of Sweden, and Carolina Falkholt, currently in residence in New York City. Davis and Falkholt join moderator Phil Hutinet in a discussion examining their work within the context of the contemporary art landscape in the United States and abroad.

Anna U. Davis is a mixed media artist. Davis will discuss her current exhibition, “Witnesses” which is an investigation of the struggles and challenges faced by women, as well as the qualities that make them equal and empowered.
 
Carolina Falkholt a.k.a. “Blue”, is a mural and graffiti artist whose practice combines painting, drawing, performance, text, music, and video. In her work, she challenges conventional notions of gender and the female form.

Hosted by the Embassy of Sweden and moderated by Phil Hutinet, founding publisher of East City Art.

Date: December 5
Time: Doors open 6:30, Panel Discussion stars 7:00 pm
Location: House of Sweden


Click here to attend: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/panel-discussion-swedish-contemporary-art-tickets-40159183198
 

Location: House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007.
A photo ID and security check will be required for entrance.
Photo: Anna U Davis (top), Carolina Falkholt (bottom).

 

Artist talk at the Embassy of Sweden October 12

Video clip from the Opening reception on September 7 with DeWilde performing his music with Jake. https://soundcloud.com/wherethewildis/sets/seven

Invitation - Artist Talk with Anna U Davis

You’re Cordially invited to meet Swedish artist Anna U Davis, currently on display with her solo show ’’Witnesses’’ in House of Sweden.
October 12, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm in House of Sweden. Doors open 6:00 pm. Event starts 6:30 pm.

View Anna’s intriguing art while listening to a presentation about her next project ‘’Road to Recovery’’ - a project inspired by her own experiences battling breast cancer.

‘’Road to Recovery’’ is an upcoming show and a continuation of the artistic style Anna has been developing since the late 1990's. It is based on a series of black and white ink drawings she created during her cancer diagnosis and following treatments. It consist of “Black Edge” wall sculptures, each created with archival ink on cutout layered birch plywood. Each piece in this series will explore difficult topics that can arise for many people when faced with a life threatening disease, but there will be positive moments that can be found along the way. These positive moments, Anna believes are crucial for a healthy recovery and continued survivorship. This work Anna says is meant to educate, inspire and bring awareness to women faced with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Coffee and sandwich will be served during the event.
Location: House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
A photo ID and security check will be required for entrance.
Click here to attend

 

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Witnesses by Anna U Davis at The Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC opening September 7, 2017

Exhibition Opening - Witnesses by Anna U Davis

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Welcome to the opening of our new exhibition "Witnesses" by Anna U Davis
Thursday, September 7 at 7:00 PM in House of Sweden
Doors open 6:30 PM. Event start 7:00 PM


Anna U Davis is known for her bold, colorful, graphic mixed-media work, where she explores her fascination with gender relations. She has been awarded multiple DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Artist Fellowships and a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in NY for her upcoming project "Road to Recovery". Her work can be found in public and private collections in the United States and Europe. Davis currently resides and works in Washington, D.C. Join us in House of Sweden for the opening event, meet Anna and explore her work.

 

Anna U Davis About the Exhibition
Why are we Curious, Passionate, Suspicious, Jealous, Conscientious, Self-conscious, Unsure, Calm, Insecure, Balanced, Mature and Independent? We tend to think of personality traits as good or bad, but where does these features stem from? Can you narrow down a specific character's origin to one specific moment? Or is a personality conceived after a repeated pattern of experiences? Could I figure out specific events in my own life, that molded my continuous quest in exploring my role as a woman in this World? My craving to investigate not only the struggles and challenges we face as women, but the qualities that makes us equal and empowered. In preparation for this project, I decided to conduct an assessment test, which I handed out to family, and friends, in order to figure out my most prominent character traits. From the data collected and from a period of contemplation and discussion, I was able to conceive a series of black and white drawings based on experiences that seemed to have implemented these different personality traits. In the exhibit “Witnesses” I have transformed the black and white drawings into mixed media paintings and sculptures.

More about Anna U Davis and her work here

Singer-songwriter DeWilde will be performing during the event.
Listen to DeWilde's Music here or at  Spotify and iTunes under "DeWilde".
 

 

RSVP HERE

 

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DC Citypaper's People Issue

Originally hailing from Sweden, Anna U Davis has spent most of her time as a working artist in D.C., exhibiting at multiple galleries and twice receiving a D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities fellowship. She works with great precision, applying thousands upon thousands of tiny collage pieces to painted backgrounds and painstakingly outlining them in black. The resulting works depict female figures in sometimes surreal scenarios and confront issues of gender and race in surprising and bold ways.  —Stephanie Rudig

When did you start working with collage?

Somewhere after school. I went to UDC, and we had to take African-American art history. So in that class [the professor] had us do these collages, and I got very intrigued with what I could do with that. I left it at that. It wasn’t until after I graduated that all of a sudden I was like, ‘Oh, I should really try to infuse the collage.’ The seed started there, and then just happened naturally after I finished school in 2002.

So you came to D.C. from Sweden, specifically for college?

No. My husband is half Swedish, half African American, and his dad lived here, and we wanted to do something different. So that’s how I started. I wasn’t thinking necessarily of going to art school. I was doing the art, but it was more based on, “OK, we’re going here.” 

So you have those family ties, and have stayed for that reason, but have you been inspired to stay here otherwise?

In the beginning, I didn’t feel like it’s this artsy town. It’s this town where you can do something, because the scene needs to be developed. You can actually do something cool here. You’re in the midst of all this politics, and everything happens here. When I first came, the art scene was in Dupont Circle. Another one was 14th street, in the same building there was a bunch of galleries. Now I think it’s only one left, the Hemphill. But they cannot stay. Which is a sad part of the city. You see that galleries can’t stay in the locations, it’s so expensive. 

Aside from the issues of having space to show and being able to afford the rent, what other challenges do you see D.C. artists facing right now?

I think that the city is becoming a cooler and cooler city, in general. It’s more hip, it’s more than politics. You wish that it can also bleed over into the artistic community. You know that the money is here to buy a lot of art, but a lot of the buyers will go to other places. I just got a new collector, which was really exciting because they told me they only collect D.C. local artists. I haven’t heard that before. 

Do you think that D.C. has influenced your work?

It must have, the whole city probably. My figures are based on the interracial relationship between my husband, who’s black, and I’m white, and then I went to a predominantly black school. Of course that influenced me, for just a brief second to be where you’re the minority, which, I would always be the majority in Sweden. And I’m continuing with also being here in D.C. with the politics, and being a woman. Because I feel coming from a Northern European country, where, we’re not equal, but Sweden is different. 

Much of your work is the female form. Is any of that a reaction to the different power structures you see? 

Probably yes, because it’s very male dominated. You see that here, of course, because it’s the politics. So many important decisions are made here every day. And now [post-election], I don’t even know. I mean it’s like, are we gonna go back to the kitchen? Back to ancient times? 

You just did a collaboration with Dacha Supper Club. How did that come about? 

Two owners are collectors of my work. They commissioned me to do a big piece, the Dacha Garden with all the people in it. I slightly altered the figures for that too, to capture some of these people they wanted in it. I usually don’t do commissions, but it was a very interesting, challenging thing to do. And the biggest piece I’ve ever done, on canvas. It’s seven by 10 foot. First we were going to have just an inauguration for the piece, but I’m really good friends with one of them, so we’re like, let’s do a whole event, instead of just that one piece. Some of it was my past, and several was what I’m doing right now.

Pollock-Krasner Grant for my project "Road to Recovery"

I am so honored and excited to announce that I have been awarded a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in NYC, in support of the creation of "Road to Recovery" a project based on my own breast cancer journey.

The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, grants support to artists' personal and/or professional expenses for one year. Since it's inception in 1985, the Foundation has awarded over 61 million dollars to artist in 76 countries. www.pkf.org

- Anna