Sevda Chkoutova studied History of Art at New Bulgarian University until 1997 and graduated with the same subject at the University of Vienna in 1998. Between 1998 and 2002 she studied Fine and Graphic arts at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna. Between 2004 and 2005 she was part of a recidency program in Chicago.
She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Belgium, Russia and the USA.
Selected solo exhibitions: Sevda Chkoutova, Gallery Fishpiece, Zurich, Switzerland, (2016); Sevda Chkoutova, Viktor Bucher, Vienna, Austria (2016); Chelsea Galerie, Projektraum, Basel, Switzerland (2010); Rabbit and other stories, Visconti Fine Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2009); Galerie Griffin, Chicago, USA (2005).
Selected group exhibitions: Die 11 von Traunsee, Galerie Schauraum K3, Simbacham Inn, Germany (2016); kuratiert von Anna Fliri, Galerie Rhomberg, Innsbruck, Austria (2016); Bulgaria: Save the Dreams – Contemporary Artists from Bulgaria, Imago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy (2015); Art Brussels, Projektraum Viktor Bucher, Vienna, AT, Brussels, Belgium (2013); ABSTRACTION / FIGURATION. Austrian Contemporary Art, curated by Edelbert Köb, Kunstmuseum Sotschi, Russia (2012); 1st Danube Biennale, Danubiana, Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia (2009); Budapest Art Fair 2009, Projektraum Viktor Bucher, Vienna, AT, Budapest, Hungary (2009).
Amongst her award nominations are: Women Art Prize for Drawing, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (2013); Kardinal-König-Kunstpreis, Salzburg, Austria (2011); Walter Koschatzky Preis, MUMOK, Vienna, Austria (2011, 20092, 2007). Winner of Art Award 2006, STRABAG Kunstforum, Vienna, Austria (2006).
She lives and works in Vienna, Austria.
Where does the development of the concept „woman“ come from and where is it going to in society is a major theme in Sevda Chkoutova’s art.
The woman’s role in the present, as well as in the past, her body and psyche, and her public role in comparison to that of a man.
The woman as an object?!
Recently a central point in the art of Sevda Schkoutova is „the body“ as a whole; the body, which loses control of itself; the body, whose parts are detached from each other; the distanced body, which is a part of a specific space and in this way it defines it.
The female, male and „the third“ body is a theme, which is explored in the series „S1a bis S1000b“ from 2016. The series consists of more than 1000 drowings.
Fort he exhibition „So Close, So Far“ Sevda Chkoutova has selected a number of drawings, which characterise the main moments in this series.
