Ben Frost

Australian contemporary artist Ben Frost, based in Melbourne, is renowned for his audacious and often controversial approach to Pop Art. Armed with a Bachelor of Visual Art in Fine Art from the Queensland College of Art, Frost has firmly established himself in the global art scene by challenging Western consumer culture through his work. His distinctive style, combining vibrant colors with a collage of pop-culture references set against the backdrops of consumer products, offers an ironic and openly disrespectful critique of modern icons. Frost's work subverts meanings and messages from mainstream media, twisting everyday iconography from some of the world's largest brands into sharp commentary on advertising, entertainment, and politics. His paintings are complex mash-ups of popular culture, savagely critiquing our media and advertising-obsessed society. This irreverent approach has led to confrontations and controversies, including an infamous 2000 art prank titled 'Ben Frost is Dead', in which he faked his own death, leading to an uproar in the art world and national media. His audacity continues to spark intense reactions, with his confronting imagery often resulting in threats of exhibition closures and even physical retaliation, as seen when a disgruntled viewer slashed one of his paintings. One of his most debated works is the graphic depiction of children involved in drug use in his painting 'White Children Playing; Late 1900s'. Despite these controversies, Frost has experienced extensive success, exhibiting internationally for over two decades across London, New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, Toronto, Singapore, Berlin, Miami, Torino, Bangkok, and San Francisco. His work has been featured extensively in media outlets such as the BBC, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar. Highlights of his career include shows at the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, the MCA in Sydney, the Urban Nation Contemporary Urban Art Museum, Berlin, and the Saatchi Gallery, London. In addition to his painting career, Frost has also ventured into the world of fashion. His notable collaborations include working with Jeremy Scott on a Moschino Fall/Winter Capsule Collection 2018 launched at Milan Fashion Week and partnering with Carolina Herrera on a limited edition release of her ‘212 Pop!’ fragrance. Other noteworthy projects include work with Pearl Jam, Rossignol, Mambo, Livid Music Festival, and J&B Whiskey. Frost continues to contribute as an illustrator for various magazines and newspapers and shares a studio in Melbourne with his fashion designer partner, Nixi Killick. Despite, or perhaps because of, the confrontations and controversies that have marked his career, Frost's work continues to command attention and provoke thought, ensuring his place as a pivotal figure in contemporary Pop Art.