Born in Järvenpää, Finland 1969. Lives and works in Helsinki
Baumgartner's oeuvre consists chiefly of paintings, drawings, and installations. He has completed numerous public commissions. Baumgartner is represented in many prestigious Finnish collections including the Saastamoinen Foundation and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Galerie Forsblom has been representing Stig Baumgartner since 2017.
Stig Baumgartner work is inspired by private experiences and memories. In his latest works he combines precise, rational geometry with free, organic brushwork. The paintings are based on a compositional principle combining an identical number of interconnected horizontal and vertical blocks. This principle visually and conceptually symbolizes the human figure, albeit that Baumgartner's paintings ostensibly carry on the legacy of abstract geometrical painting. His compositions have the same, slightly twisted, off-axis symmetry as the human form.
Baumgartner's work draws inspiration not only from the history of abstract art, but also from sources as varied as everyday observations of his surroundings to real people and vivid dreams. His rectangular blocks are like architectural floor plans. Through mundane associations, Baumgartner demystifies the mythic aura of abstract art. In his own words, there is always something warped and imperfect about abstract art, revealing something salient about the human imperfection of what we call rational thought.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Education
2015 D.F.A. Fine Art, The Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (FI)
1999 M.A. Fine Art, The Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (FI)
Solo Exhibitions
2021 Key Figures, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (FI)
2018 Combinations, Variations and little creatures, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (FI)
2017 Light Comes Through, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (FI)
2015 My colour, your colour, Gallery Korjaamo, Helsinki (FI)
2013 New Order, Gallery Korjaamo, Helsinki (FI)2011 Hakunila - paintings, Gallery Forum Box, Helsinki (FI)
2009 About the trees and forest, MUU gallery, Helsinki (FI)
2007 Private collection, Kluuvi gallery, Helsinki (FI)
2005 Kappaleita, Galleria Artina, Helsinki (FI)
2003 Solidifications, gallery projecteSD, Barcelona (ES)
2001 Gallery Leena Kuumola, Helsinki (FI)
1998 Lahja, Kluuvi gallery, Helsinki (FI)
Group Exhbitions
2020Abstract, Elverket gallery, Tammisaari (FI)
2019 Baltic Drawing, Imatra artmuseum, Imatra (FI)
2019 With the eyes of my mind, Pori artmuseum, Pori (FI)
2017 Geradewohl, Gallery Toolbox, Berlin (DE
2017 Porvoo triennial, Porvoo arthall, Porvoo (FI)
2017 Me: Self-Portraits through time, Helsinki Arthall, Helsinki (FI)
2015 Le vol en provenance d'Helsinki, Montbéliard arthall, (FR)
2015 Clear Form, Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki (FI)
2015Turku Biennial, Museum Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Turku (FI)
2014 Kiasma HIts, Kiasma, Helsinki, Helsinki (FI)
2012 Carnegie Art Award, Konstakademiet, Stockholm (SE)
2012 Mazzano!, Tallinn museum of architecture, Tallinn (EE)
2012 7. wave, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki (FI)
2012 Carnegie Art Award, Amos Anderson art museum, Helsinki (FI)2011 Mazzano!, Tampere Artmuseum, Tampere (FI)
2011 Purnu´s summer, Purnu, Orivesi (FI)
2009 Impact!, Fundació Vall Palou, Lleida (ES)
2009 On the right track, Kiasma, Helsinki (FI)
2009 Worth of painting, Amos Anderson artmuseum, Helsinki (FI)
2008 Nordic Drawing, Skellefteå Konsthall, (SE)
2007 Drawing class, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki (FI)
2004 On the road, Museu da Agua, Lissabon (PT)
2004 Man´s measure, HAM (Helsinki artmuseum), Helsinki (FI)
2002 Media variations, Lothringer13 Halle, München (DE)
2002 On the Road, Imatra, Turku, Vaasa and Vantaa artmuseums (FI)
2001 Entropy in the living room, Stadtgalerie Kiel (DE)
2001 Young contemporaries, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki (FI)
2000 Vilnius painting triennial, Contemporary art center, Vilnius (LT)
2000 Momentum, Nordic Biennial of Contemporary Art, Moss (NO)
1999 Five Continents and a city, Mexico city (MX)
1999 Improvisation, Kiasma, Helsinki (FI)
1999 Mänttä art festival, Mänttä (FI)
1999 BOXing, Vantaa artmuseum, Vantaa(FI)
1998 Artgenda, Kulturhuset, Stockholm (SE)
1995 Young contemporaries, Kunsthalle Helsinki, Helsinki (FI)
Public commissions
2020 Weather observations, Wall Painting, Turku University of applied sciences, Turku (FI)
2016 Kuinka paljon valo on, Wall painting, Aurinkokivi cultural house, Vantaa art museum, Vantaa (FI)
2014 Pelipalapeli, Wall painting, Espoonlahti Elementary school, EMMA, Espoo (FI)
2008 Orange through, Wall painting, Port of Helsinki, Helsinki (FI)
2005 Family relationships, Wall painting, Arabianranta, Helsinki (FI)
2004 Big hand, Wall painting, Hiidenkivi Elementary school, HAM, Helsinki (FI)
Works in collections
Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary art (FI)
Amos Anderson Art Museum (FI)
Saastamoinen Foundation (FI)
HAM, Helsinki Art Museum (FI)
EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern art (FI)
Pori Art Museum (FI)
Finnish State (FI)
Wihuri Foundation (FI)
Heino Collection (FI)
Finnish art association (FI)
Aalto University, (FI)
Private collections
Awards
2011 William Thuring Foundation Prize (FI)
2010 Grönqvistska Foundation (FI)
2010 Stina Krooks Foundation (FI)
Grants
2020 The arts council of Finland2019 Saastamoinen Foundation
2017 The arts council of Finland
2016 The arts council of Finland
2010 Helsinki Cultural Foundation
2009 The arts council of Finland
2008 Alfred Kordelin Foundation
2007 Finnish Cultural Foundation
2006 The Central Committee for the arts
2005 The Central Committee for the arts
2004 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Oscar Öflund Foundation
2003 Kordelin Foundation, Finnish Art Academy Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation
2002 Finnishsvedish Cultural Foundation, Finnish art society
2001 Finnish Cultural Foundation
2000 The Central Committee for the arts
1999 Paulo Foundation, Oscar Öflund Foundation, The Central Committee for the arts
1998 Finnish Cultural Foundation, Finnishsvedish Cultural Foundation
1997 The Central Committee for the arts
1995 Helsinki City
Publications
2021 Stig Baumgartner: Key Figures-paintings, Parvs publications
2015 Stig Baumgartner: Virhe abstraktissa maalauksessa. Tekijän paikka maalauksen rakenteessa" (Dissertation book). The Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, 2015
Teaching experience
Lecturer in Drawing and perception in the Academy of fine arts Helsinki, lectures and workshops inseveral art collages and universities, such as: Berlin Art academy (Üdeka), Helsinki University, Aalto university,