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A complex collage featuring a person sitting in a window frame, surrounded by scattered papers, paint cans and geometric shapes. The composition blends 3D elements and flat cut-outs against a neutral background.

Fiona Ackerman's paintings offer an extraordinary view into her studio

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Date
24 October 2012

Vancouver-based painter Fiona Ackerman has been honing her craft for over a decade, creating playful, engaging paintings and portraits that entice their viewer with atmosphere and skill. Creating work that spans abstracts, portraits and borderline photo-real renderings of her surroundings we think it’s fair to say that Fiona has mastered her medium, and yet she’s still prepared to adapt and diversify her practice rather than resting on her laurels.

Some of the most recent additions to her portfolio include a body of studio paintings that focus on a modular set of papers, paints and other artist’s paraphernalia, all arranged, rearranged and painted in situ. It doesn’t sound like much but the results are a joy to behold, transforming otherwise mundane objects into ethereal compositions of unique beauty.

A collection of eight small artworks on white paper, arranged in a loose grid. Each piece features a different abstract shape or mark in colours including blue, red, purple and pink.
Above

FIona Ackerman: Eight Memorable Moments

A collage of abstract shapes and marks on black and white squares. Red scribbles and a white spray-painted triangle overlap across the composition.
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Fiona Ackerman: Your Demon Doppelganger

A painting of a studio table holding a red tin filled with paintbrushes and a small green pot. Beside them sit a crumpled tube of white paint and a grey, textured model of a skyscraper. A framed artwork hangs on the wall behind, featuring a dark grey cube with a white “M”.
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Fiona Ackerman: New York

A painting of an abstract arrangement of shapes and objects against a plain white background. A large white curved form dominates the centre, surrounded by smaller figures, a thin dark rod, and a small hand-drawn star.
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Fiona Ackerman: Jesus: A Short Story

A mixed-media collage featuring a collection of abstract paintings, sketches and small sculptures arranged against a white wall. A large central piece contains bold black splatters and blue circular forms, while a blank canvas frame sits to the right.
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Fiona Ackerman: Invasion

A collection of small cards featuring abstract shapes and symbols. Some cards show spray-painted forms in black, white and green, while others feature hand-drawn lines and a colourful gradient shape.
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Fiona Ackerman: Group of Seven

A collage of mixed media elements arranged on a white background. Small drawings, cut-out shapes and splatters of white paint are connected by a thin, looping black line.
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Fiona Ackerman: Generation

An abstract mixed-media artwork featuring a chaotic arrangement of scribbled lines, shapes and splashes of colour. A bold red loop and a pink triangle sit atop layers of black charcoal marks, yellow washes and turquoise blots.
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Fiona Ackerman: Apfel Die Nicht Weit Vom Stammfallen

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About the Author

James Cartwright

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James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

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