VISUAL ARTIST
I N F O
Daniel Holfeld
Holfeld's distinctive visual language assembles architectural surfaces he encounters as painterly abstractions. Through his lens and borrowing from the clean, vivid clarity of modernist painting, Holfeld transforms his studies into striking compositions of colour and geometric form. Driven by a pursuit of an ‘emotional architecture.’ A belief that emotion is a language the brain speaks. It is nonverbal, sensory and fundamental to our interpretation of reality. It is the language of memory, imagery and meaning. We cannot discuss the meaning of our surroundings without discussing emotion.
As a result his work is a reflection of his own intuitive response to the spaces he encounters. What emerges from this process is both an architectural portrait and also a new distilled language, a reconsidered perspective on details which can be often overlooked when taking in the magnitude of modernist structures. The sensory stimulation Holfeld feels while working usually sends him on a semiotic journey of colour, light, texture and geometry. The resulting images are a reflection of the kinetic aspects of emotions that express themselves within his body as he enters in to dialogue with the structure through his lens. It is this raw material of human consciousness and experience, which Holfeld shares in his images.
Holfeld has always gravitated towards large open spaces, developing a passion and admiration of the complex language of architecture. From 2016 onwards Holfeld has focused exclusively on his fine art practice and spent two years documenting Arabic architecture across Morocco, which he debuted in 2018, when luxury department store Brown Thomas, owned by the Selfridges group, invited him to exhibit his work in their Dublin flagship store. The Arab Irish Chamber of Commerce has acquired editions from this series.
For his work, Holfeld received an honourable mention from the International Photography Awards in 2019 and was hand selected by Saatchi curators to exhibit in London’s The Other Art Fair in 2018.
Earlier in 2020 Holfeld debuted his new series The Space Between in the Royal Institute of Architecture of Ireland and later returned to London to show the series in the Royal Institute of British Architects. RIBA acquired editions from this series in to their permanent and prestigious Robert Elwall photography collection.
Currently Holfeld has launched his recent exhibition Conveying Space at University College Dublin. For this work Holfeld was commissioned by UCD to respond and interpret the iconic architecture found on campus to commemorate Belfield 50. The series has received awards around the world.
Solo Exhibition
2022, Conveying Space, MoLi UCD Naughton Joyce Centre, Dublin
2021, Conveying Space, University College Dublin
2020, The Royal Institute of British Architects, The Space Between, London
2020, The Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, The Space Between, Dublin
2018, Art & Style, Selfridges Brown Thomas, Dublin, Ireland
Recent Group Shows
2022, Photo Ireland Festival, Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland
2022, Photo London, Somerset House, London, United Kingdom
2021, BBA Gallery Photographic Prize during Berlin Photo Week, Berlin
2021, Art Without Walls, Campari X Affordable Art Fair, London, United Kingdom
2020, The Performer, Millepiani, Rome, Italy.
2019, The Royal Art Prize, Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2018, The Other Art Fair hosted by Saatchi Art, London, United Kingdom
Collections
University College Dublin Permanent Collection
Royal Institute of British Architects Permanent Collection
Arab Irish Chamber of Commerce Permanent Collection
Awards
2022, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Fine Art/Abstract - Gold
2022, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Jury Top 5 Selection
2022, Budapest International Foto Awards, Fine Art/Architecture - Silver
2022, PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Fine Art/Architecture - Gold
2021, Budapest International Photography Awards, Fine Art-Abstract, Gold
2021, Budapest International Photography Awards, Fine Art, Second Place Win
2021, Agility Award, The Arts Council of Ireland
2021, International Photography Awards, Abstract Architecture, Honourable Mention
2021, PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Architecture/Buildings - Silver
2021, PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Fine Art/Architecture - Silver
2020, ITSLIQUID, Artist of the Month, July 2021 Winner
2021, MONOVISIONS Photography Awards, Honorable Mention - Series, Architecture
2020, International Photography Awards, Abstract Architecture, Second Place Win
2020, ELLE Decor Italia Top 24 Most Beautiful Architecture Photographs of 2020
2019, International Photography Awards, Honourable Mention
Residencies
2020, University College Dublin, Dublin
Education
Daniel Holfeld grew up in Ireland and graduated with a BA [Hons] degree in photography from Dublin’s Institute of Technology in 2008.