Biography

Kohlben Vodden

Kohlben Vodden is an Australian-born self-taught artist living and working in London, UK. His obsession with psychological concepts such as identity and aesthetics are central to his artistic practice which he defines as visual storytelling that coexists as conceptual and expressionist art.

 Focusing on contemporary abstract figurative works in traditional oil paint, he employs insights from experimental psychology and uses a bold geometric style, with intense palettes to command the viewers’ attention, and communicate stories while evoking emotional and physiological responses to create deep resonance and connection between artist, viewer, and subject.

While a newcomer to the professional art world, Vodden is a lifetime creative, who from childhood, spent many years perfecting his artistic practice in figurative realism drawings. He began his professional artistic journey during the UK COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 when he developed “Orange Ebby” – the first piece in his body of work exploring identity through abstract portraits. Vodden enjoys the juxtaposition of using traditional mediums such as oil paint in uncharacteristically controlled techniques to create intensely contemporary aesthetic images that could, upon first glance, be considered digital in origin.

His work has is recognised across the UK and internationally, and has been included in exhibitions in Abu Dhabi, Milan, New York, and London. Vodden’s unique approach has also been included in art and culture publications including Vogue, Create! Magazine, Artist Talk Magazine, and Juturna Male Art Magazine.