Adriana Molder is recognized for her India ink drawing on tracing paper. The conceptual focal point of her work is the significance of the face as a symbol in contemporary imagery. She has produced several series of portraits inspired by iconographic figures in popular culture and American cinema. Molder’s choice of subject matter creates an instant familiarity between the viewer and her work causing it to be both relevant and accessible. The use of delicate tracing paper and black and white tones give Molder’s works a photographic feel highly complementary to her use of cinematic references. Executed on tracing paper without any preparatory sketching Molder’s larger than life portraits illustrate her mastery of ink and intimate knowledge of the base material which does not forgive even the smallest error. Having won the Herbert Zapp Prize in Berlin in 2007, Adriana has successfully carved a niche for herself with her unique style and focus on contemporary culture.
Born in 1975 in Portugal, Adriana Molder obtained a degree in stage design in 1997 and a degree in Fine Arts in 2002 in Lisbon. She has completed residencies with the Kunstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin) and with the Budapest Caleria (Budapest). In 2007 she won the prestigious Herbert Zapp Prize in Berlin. Her solo exhibitions have been shown at Casa da Cerca Contemporary Art Space (Almada), Vieira da Silva Foundation (Lisbon) and the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias (Oviedo). Her work is also exhibited in collections of Banco Espirito Santo, Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild, C.A.V., Caixa Geral de Depósitos, António Cachola Collection, Berardo Collection, Union Fenosa and Kupferstichkabinett - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Today Adriana Molder lives and works in Berlin.