"Sleepless" Drawing

FRYM (b. 1990, Semey, KZ) is a London-based multidisciplinary artist specialising in a self-developed painting technique that bridges acrylics with raw and crafted materials, including natural pigments and egg tempera. Their practice is an exploration of somatic translation—investigating how the body retains the memory of lands that can no longer be spoken of. Born within a former nuclear testing site in the Kazakh Steppes, FRYM’s history is defined by a landscape that no longer permits their presence. Following a forced displacement, this sense of being uprooted prompted the artist to bridge the gap between a masked heritage and the present. They have developed a technique rooted in the rhythmic movements of calligraphy, stripping language of its literal meaning to leave only its kinetic energy. The importance of the brush stroke is affirmed throughout the practice, where the body becomes both tool and motif. Through painting, drawing, and performance, the aim is less to produce images than to create spaces of perception—environments where the body, memory, and life can be explored. FRYM’s early calligraphic work is held in the public collection of The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy. Cointreau and Liberty London Department Store are among several fashion powerhouses involved in collaborations with the artist.