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Studio Anja, LLC
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BEHIND THE EASEL
A sudden flash of bright, vivid eyes. A toss of exquisitely styled hair and chic, oversized sunglasses with a touch of Swarovski crystals. These are the timeless moments when we encounter high fashion, and artist Anja Van Herle has caught them all and more in her remarkable body of work mixing both classical and contemporary ideas of fashion. Anja specializes in large-scale paintings featuring beautiful, idealized faces, often framed with elegant eyewear. “If the eyes are the window to the soul, then glasses are more than just an accessory; they’re an extension of one’s personality. The use of sunglasses in my work allows me to define my subjects and infuse each composition with a vibrant juxtaposition of color.”
Born in Belgium in 1969, Anja’s early interest in fashion design led her to a career in the arts. In 1987, she enrolled in Belgium’s prestigious Higher Institute for Art Education where she earned a Master’s of Fine Arts in Painting. In 2003, Anja relocated to Los Angeles, where she now concentrates on playful figurative paintings that combine a European sense of high fashion with an American sense of wonder. As timelessly chic as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Anja’s women are playfully sexy, and their expressions and eyes tell stories that go far beyond the simple exhibition of fine fashion. In Anja’s masterful hands, fashion becomes alive. “These women—they feel.”
Anja’s work currently hangs in galleries alongside Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Banksy & Basquiat. Additionally, she’s shown with Shepard Fairey, Retna, Damien Hirst, Chuck Close and Victoria’s Secret fashion photographer Russell James.
Selected Collections:
Steven Tyler, Aerosmith
Prince Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Paula Abdul, Singer, Songwriter
David Guetta, French House Music Producer
Xavier Malisse, Top 20 ATP Tennis Player, Wimbledon SF
Hughes Marino: Corporate Real Estate Advisors
Brian Wilson, Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, L.A. Dodgers
Rob Schmitt, Anchorman CBS Los Angeles
Jordan McGraw & Dr. Phil McGraw, Los Angeles, CA (Dr. Phil)
Jamie Kennedy, Los Angeles, CA(Scream, Malibu’s Most Wanted, Boiler Room)
Fred Savage, Los Angeles, CA (The Wonder Years)
Ben Savage, Los Angeles, CA (Boy Meets World)
Cassandra Mann, Alfred Mann Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
John Calley, John Calley Productions, Los Angeles, California
Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, California
Siegfried & Roy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Warren Beatty, Los Angeles, California (Bonnie & Clyde, Reds, Bulworth)
Deaniemel Custom Jewelry Designs, Beverly Hills, California
The Glowacki Group, CPA Financial Planners, Los Angeles, California
Randall Davis Company, Houston, Texas
Weytjens Optical, Brussels, Belgium
VanWassenhoven-Vangenechten Architects, Brussels, Belgium
Spar Supermarkets, Beringen, Belgium
Selected Exhibitions:
. The Boutique Gallery, Knokke, Belgium, 2019
. A Tribute to Grace Kelly, Monaco, 2019
. &Collection Gallery, Tokyo, Japan 2019
. Monte Carlo Gallery, 'Beyond Beauty' solo show Tokyo, Japan 2017
. Oliver Cole Gallery, Miami, FL 2017
. Galerie Virginie Barrou Planquart, Paris, France 2017
. New Gallery of Modern Art, Charlotte, NC 2016
. Joanne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach 2016
. Gallery 1949, Aspen, Colorado 2016
. 212 Gallery, Aspen, Colorado 2015
. Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts, San Diego, 2015
. Art Angels, Los Angeles 2015
. Signature Gallery, Las Vegas 2015
. Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, February 2015
. Affordable Art Fair, NY, April 2015
. Joanne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach 2014
. Asia Contemporary Art Show, Hong Kong, 2014
. Affordable Art Fair, NY, April 2014
. Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco, October 2014
. Red Dot Art Fair, Miami, December 2014
. Signature Gallery, Las Vegas 2014
. Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts, San Diego, 2014
. Affordable Art Fair, NY, October 2013
. Signature Gallery, Las Vegas, 2013
. Joanne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA 2013
. Michael J. Wolf Gallery, San Diego, CA 2013
. JoAnne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA 2012
. Collection Privee Gallery, Miami, FL,
. Signature Gallery, Las Vegas, 2011 - 2012
. Oh My Godard Gallery, Las Vegas, 2012
. Michael J. Wolf Gallery, San Diego, CA 2011 - 2012
. Rawstyle Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 2011
. Illoulian Contemporary Art Gallery, CA 2011
. J.E.T Studio’s NoHo Gallery, North Hollywood, CA 2011
. Jack Gallery, Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, 2011
. Jack Gallery, Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, 2011
. Jack Gallery, New Orleans, 2011
. Jack Gallery, Chicago, 2011
. Townley Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA 2011
. Michael J.Wolf Gallery, San Diego, CA 2010
. Jack Gallery, New Orleans, French Quarter, January, 2010
. Jack Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada November 2009
. Michael J. Wolf Gallery, San Diego, CA June 2009
. Arty Gallery, Los Angeles, CA August 2009
. White Orchid Gallery, West Hollywood, CA July 2007 - July 2009
. The Lurie Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA October, 2008
. James Gray Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA 2007
. NOHO Gallery L.A., North Hollywood, CA November-December 2006
. Girari Contemporary Art, Beverly Hills, CA October-December 2006
. Juried Exhibitor, Malibu Arts Festival, Malibu, California 2006
. Juried Exhibitor, Affaire in the Gardens, Beverly Hills, California 2006
. Juried Exhibitor, Affaire in the Gardens, Beverly Hills, California 2005
. Solo Show, Diest Provincial Museum, Diest, Belgium 1995
. Solo Show, Da Carlo Gallery, Heusden, Belgium 1994
. Juried Exhibitor, Antwerp City Art Council, Antwerp, Belgium 1992
Bibliography:
-Vogue, Japan. Lifestyle/News. December 12, 2017.
-Pambianco Beauty. Cover. No. 1 - February-March, 2016
-"Red Lips, Fingertips." Riviera Magazine.
-“Hot, Hot, Hot! Anja Van Herle’s ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ makes us want to rock.”
OC Weekly. Vol. 17, No. 37, May 1-17, 2012.
-“The Best-Kept Art Secret in L.A.” Montage Magazine. Summer 2012.
-Bluff Magazine, August, 2006. Advertising Artwork, Image: ‘Focus’
-Cardplayer Magazine, Vol. 19/No. 13 July 11, 2006.
Advertising Artwork, Image: ‘Focus’
-Belang van Limburg, Chris Craps, May 9th, 2005.
Anja Van Herle
