B. 1982 Johannesburg, South Africa. Lin is a self-taught contemporary artist who started painting just 3 years ago. She lives and works in Sherman Oaks, CA.
In her brand new yet prolific career, artist Lin Fried explores with fascination and sometimes cynicism, popular culture in her socially relevant collection of selfie portraiture. She draws influence from the work of artists Andy Warhol, Michael Carson, Malcolm Liepke, Colin Davidson, among others - to convey the emotion of a conscious expression in an intimate moment. Lin favors subjects who are engaged with the lens, while emphasizing the sentimental quality of each painting through its own unique palette of color and texture. "The selfie is inherently paradoxical,” she has observed. “We put out an enhanced version of ourselves in hopes of a desired response. We tweak our output until we are sufficiently validated. In a scramble to transform into this more desirable 'public' version of ourselves, we engage in a game of chase - our identity and self-worth stuck somewhere between those two versions of ourselves. I am intrigued by this certain vulnerability and truth."
She began this series by capturing her very first selfie, and translating it onto canvas. The resulting piece is entitled 'self.'
Her other work consists mainly of portraiture, where she paints figures who have personally influenced her.