Born October 6 1955 in Switzerland. Studied sculpture and painting under Gerhard Richter.

Fries works on top of wood panels which have been primed six or seven times to create a sturdy surface. The tools she uses are key to her work. As a trained sculptor, Fries often uses spatulas and knives while painting, making her use of media thick and messy. She is also said to have used equipment such as syringes and industrial objects to apply media. Oil paint is her main medium, but is sometimes altered by being mixed with resin to thicken. In many of her works, the paint looks as though it has been dragged and spread across the surface, creating unique textures. It makes you want to physically reach out and touch the work itself. It almost looks like a landscape or even some sort of alien creature.

Although these pieces may look messy at first glance, Fries actually spends a lot of time on the process of her art, and is said to work on more than one piece at a time. “I like to step back, reflect, distance myself for the next step and then work again … learning as I go on.” Her work feels very raw and lively. It reminds me of an excited child or flourishing creature in nature due to the colour and combination of shape, pattern and line.

• Said to be influenced by artists such as Hendrick Goltzius.
• Uses a range of sizes in her work.
• Studied under Gerhard Richter (German abstract artist).