Eliza Douglas

Last updated
Eliza Douglas
Born1984 (age 4041)
Alma mater
Known for

Eliza Douglas (born 1984) is an American contemporary artist known primarily for their paintings and performances, though also works with sculpture and photography. [1] Since the 2000s, she has worked with music with different artists.

Contents

Her meta-paintings are often inspired by art, fashion, pop culture and different subcultures.[ citation needed ] Aside from being an artist, Douglas has also worked as a model for a variety of brands like Balenciaga, Helmut Lang and Vetements. [2] [3] [4]

Early life and education

Douglas grew up in the West Village in New York City. [1] [5] Her parents are a lawyer and an elementary school teacher.

She is the great-granddaughter of Dorothy Wolff Douglas, who was a professor of economics and departmental chair at Smith College.[ citation needed ] Her pieces, Shadow and Light and Blood and Bones are in Dorothy's memory. [5] They were commissioned by and first exhibited at the Jewish Museum, New York.

In 2007, Douglas received a BA in Film Studies from Bard College. [6] Half-way through her second year, she was kicked out of the programme for missing classes. [5] It took her five years in total to finish her undergraduate course. She tried to return to college to study social work, but abandoned that.

From 2015 to 2017, she attended the Städelschule in Frankfurt, [6] where studied with Willem de Rooij. [5] In her first year, she met Anne Imhof at the lobby of Texte zur Kunst’s 25th anniversary gala, and they quickly started a relationship. In 2016, she showed her work for the first time at the Städelschule's "Rundgang". Her work soon gained attention and she became represented by two galleries internationally.

After graduating, Douglas returned to New York, splitting her time between the US and Frankfurt. [5]

Career

Painting

Douglas is a painter. [2] Her works are conceptually driven and combine realism, figuration, abstraction, and humour. [5] [7] She has an unconventional approach to painting, bridging abstract painting with technical skill and conceptuality, often questioning authorship and authenticity. Her work is often created in collaboration with other artists. [5] For example, she has previously employed other artists to do more detailed elements of her work. She has also ordered entire compositions of Dafen, China.

She cites Monika Baer and Maria Lassnig as inspirations. [2] Douglas is represented by Air de Paris.

Music and performance

An important aspect in Douglas’s work is collaboration, among many they have collaborated with Anne Imhof, Devendra Banhart, ANOHNI, Matteah Baim, Hercules and Love Affair and Puppies Puppies. [2]

Douglas toured with ANHONI for their 2006 European tour ‘TURNING’ Where Eliza appeared as one of the 13 New York City-based women who were featured in the stage show.[ citation needed ] She also appeared in the subsequent documentary ‘Turning: A Film by Charles Atlas and Antony’ (2012) by Charles Atla.[ citation needed ] Douglas starred in the music video for ANHONI's 2017 song PARADISE from the EP PARADISE. [8]

Douglas is a frequent collaborator with German artist Anne Imhof. [5] She has been a constant performer in Imhof’s work since 2016, first performing in Angst I at Kunsthalle Basel in 2016 and Angst II at the Hamburger Bahnhof also in 2016. Douglas also co-created the music and performed in Sex, Imhof's 2019 piece for the Tate Modern and Faust, at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, which won the Golden Lion. [6] The Music for Sex was released as a collaborative album in 2021, with shared credit between Anne Imhof, Eliza Douglas and Billy Bultheel. [9] For the 2021 Carte Blanche at Palais de Tokyo, Douglas wrote and produced the music, did the art direction, casting, styling and performed for Imhof's artwork titled Nature Mortes. [8]

Douglas wrote the music and performed the soundtrack for the Burberry 2021 Spring Summer collection presentation.[ citation needed ]

Modeling

Eliza Douglas modeled for the first time when she was 12 years old for Helmut Lang. [10]

In 2016, she was recommended to Lotta Volkova, one of the main casting directors for Demna Gvasalia’s first show with Balenciaga.[ citation needed ] Douglas’s natural walk interested the creative director and they have modeled for Balenciaga, opening or closing every show since. [11]

For Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2022 show Clones, a CGI production attended by a small crowd, all 44 looks were modeled by Douglas via deepfake or other models with Douglas Photogrammetry-captured and CG-scanned face digitally grafted on. [12]

Personal Life

Douglas was previously in a relationship and was engaged to artist and collaborator Anne Imhof, [13] [14] and Douglas is often cited as Imhof's muse. [15] [16]

Exhibitions

Solo & Duo
YearTitleInstitutionLocationRef.
2016I Am All Soul Air de Paris Paris [6]
Music, Jo AnneStadelschuleFrankfurt
2017Old Tissues Filled with TearsSchinkel PavillionBerlin
My Gleaming Soul, 6 /12 Weeks Museum Folkwang Essen [6] [10]
My Gleaming Soul / I am a FireballNassauischer KunstvereinWiesbaden [11]
Eliza Douglas Anne Imhof Galerie Buchholz New York [6] [17]
Overduin & Co.Los Angeles [6]
2018Eliza Douglas The Jewish Museum New York [6] [7]
Old Tissues Filled with TearsSchinkel PavillonBerlin [9]
2019Josh SmithOverduin & Co.Los Angeles [6]
2020Lord of the Fucking Wasteland Air de Paris Paris
2021Notre MortNeue Alte BrückeFrankfurt
Overduin & Co.Los Angeles
2022 Whitney Biennal VI VIIOslo [6]
2023Everything Dies Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf
PAROLE (Eliza Douglas and Lily van der Stokker Air de Paris Paris [6]
Selected group shows
YearTitleInstitutionLocationRef.
2016Summer showAir de Paris, 11 Columbia Monaco [6]
Being There cur.Matt Williams, Vilma Gold London
2017TransitionsRod Bianco gallery Oslo
Cul-de-sacAntenna Space Shanghai
TherianthropyLaura Bartlett Gallery London
Monday is a Day Between Sunday and TuesdayTanya Leighton Gallery Berlin
2018James Fuentes New York
Hey woman!Presenza London
Nothing Will Be As BeforeTanya Leighton Berlin
The Seam, the Fault, the FlawGreenspon New York
The Vitalist Economy of PaintingGalerie Neu Berlin
NightfallMendes Wood DM Bruxelles
2019MademoiselleCRAC Sète Sète
SexTate Modern London [18]
The Art Institute Chicago Chicago [19]
Nightfall Mendes Wood DM Bruxelles [6]
Eliza Douglas / Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo)Galerie Francesca Pia Zürich
More Air de Paris Romainville
2020SexCastello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte ContemporaneaTurin [19]
Milléniales. Peintures 2000-2020Méca - FRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux [6]
My C art ography. The Erling Kagge CollectionSantander Art gallery Boadilla del Monte
Ups and Downs of a Flipped PlanetGalerie Huber Winter Vienna
Ma cartographie: la collection Erling Kagge Fondation Vincent Van Gogh Arles
Studio Berlin Berghain Berlin
<<Fuck You Be Nice>> Air de Paris Romainville
Green Go HomeHua International Berlin Show Room Berlin
2021Natures Mortes, Anne Imhof Palais de Tokyo Paris [20]
Lust for LifeEdward Ressle Shanghai [6]
2022YOUTH, Anne Imhof Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam [21]
Barbe à PapaCAPC Bordeaux [6]
2023Death and the DevilKunstpalast Düsseldorf
Canned HeatContemporary Fine Arts Berlin
2024J’ai pleuré à la fin d’un mangaÉcole Municipale des Beaux-Arts, Galerie Édouard Manet Gennevilliers

Performances

YearTitleVenueLocationRef.
2004 - 2006Devendra Banhart (Band)Toured USA, Europe, Japan [6]
2006Antony and the Johnsons, “Turning”European Tour
2007Matteah Baim (Band) MoMA PS1 USA
European Tour
2016Angst II Hamburger Bahnhof Berlin
Angst Kunsthalle Basel Basel
2017Anne Imhof: Faust (Co-curator and performer) German Pavilion, Venice Biennale Venice
2019Anne Imhof: Sex, BMW Tate Live (Performer) Tate Modern London
ANOHNI: SHE WHO SAW BEAUTIFUL THINGS (Performer) The Kitchen New York
2020Vape Music | A Concert by Anne Imhof and Eliza Douglas Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris Paris

References

  1. 1 2 "Eliza Douglas - 3 Artworks, Bio & Shows". Artsy. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Douglas, Eliza; Obrist, Hans-Ulrich (2019-03-26). "Artist, model and musician Eliza Douglas in conversation with Hans-Ulrich Obrist". HERO magazine. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  3. Mullen, Matt (2017-12-08). "Eliza Douglas paints her existential issues". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  4. Prigent, Loïc (2021). "The Runway Questionnaire: Eliza Douglas". System Magazine (18 ed.). Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dafoe, Taylor (2018-05-21). "'The Rest Is Herstory': How Eliza Douglas Went From Being Anne Imhof's Closest Collaborator to a Rising Star Herself". artnet. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Eliza Douglas CV" (PDF). Air de Paris. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Eliza Douglas, May 4-October 21, 2018". The Jewish Museum. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  8. 1 2 ANOHNI: PARADISE, YouTube, 23 February 2017, retrieved 2023-04-05
  9. 1 2 "Anne Imhof, Eliza Douglas, Billy Bultheel". PAN. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  10. 1 2 "Eliza Douglas "My Gleaming Soul" at Museum Folkwang, Essen •". Mousse Magazine (in Italian). 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  11. 1 2 "NKV / Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden: Eliza Douglas My Gleaming Soul / I am a Fireball". Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden. Archived from the original on 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  12. Altman, Randi (2021-06-10). "MPC Creates Digital Clones for Artist Eliza Douglas and Balenciaga". postPerspective. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  13. Amend, Christoph (2023-02-03). "Anne Imhof: "Was ist denn bitte am Mainstream schlecht?"". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN   0044-2070 . Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  14. Imhof, Anne; Obrist, Hans-Ulrich (2016-07-01). "Choreographed Layers: Anne Imhof — Mousse Magazine and Publishing". Mousse Magazine. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  15. Banks, Grace. "Anne Imhof's Subversion: From Her Breakout Show 'Sex' To A New Emo Mood". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2025-04-06. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  16. "Le Gesamtkunstwerk: Anne Imhof bespielt Pariser Palais de Tokyo". Monopol Magazin (in German). Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  17. "Eliza Douglas Anne Imhof New York 2017 — Eliza Douglas Anne Imhof — Exhibitions — Galerie Buchholz". Galerie Buchholz. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  18. "BMW Tate Live Ausstellung: Anne Imhof. Tate Modern enthüllt neues Werk von Anne Imhof". www.press.bmwgroup.com (in German). Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  19. 1 2 "Anne Imhof: "Sex" in Chicago". Monopol Magazin (in German). 2019-07-05. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  20. "Natures Mortes". Palais de Tokyo. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
  21. "Anne Imhof – YOUTH". Stedelijk Museum. Retrieved 2025-12-18.