Name: Frankey
Born: The Netherlands, 1977
ARTZUID edition(s): ARTZUID 2023
About Frankey
Picasso once said: “Every child is an artist. The challenge is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
For Frank de Ruwe, also known as Frankey, this problem simply does not exist. He draws inspiration from childhood, memories and a youthful fascination for contemporary life and culture. His work takes on many forms and is recognizable for its playful creativity and mischievousness.
While acknowledging the differences and thin lines between styles, crafts, and professions, he ignores these boundaries with pleasure and a polite smile. He lives the life of a designer, inventor, artist, technician, and food critic, using his creative mind and broad skill set to create truly distinctive work.
Frankey currently lives and works in Amsterdam and his work is exhibited throughout the Netherlands, including at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. In addition, he has also had several international exhibitions in the United States, Italy, and Germany. His street art bravado and comment on culture form the basis of his public and private commissions. His works are best appreciated by an audience that truly enjoys original art with a healthy dose of light-heartedness.
A few remarkable and sometimes controversial examples of his Urban Interventions can be found in Amsterdam. For example, since 2017, Ben Guntenaar’s six-metre-high sculpture Shifts located on the Churchilllaan in Amsterdam has featured a King Kong figure holding an airplane. Titled King Kong vs President, this artwork depicts the fight between the monkey and Air Force One, the plane that carries the US President. In 2020, his iconic LEGO André Hazes appeared on Dam Square. In 2023, Frankey will turn ARTZUID upside down with a new intervention.
Frankey studied Industrial Design at Delft University of Technology and is the founder of advertising agency Natwerk.