Kill Pixie (Mark Whalen) began as a graffiti artist on the streets of Sydney, Australia. His medium of choice nowadays is mostly ink and acrylic on paper mounted to wood, and coated in resin.
Inextricably embedded in their geometric, candy-colored environments, Kill Pixie’s characters are like puppets compelled to enact roles prescribed by powers beyond their control. The machinery and structures are all made up of much smaller objects, giving the impression of a kaleidoscope opening up into ever more intricate worlds.
In Kill Pixie's meticulously crafted work, the viewer senses the indomitable spirits of creativity, humor and resistance, and the power of adaptation. His work questions the games people are forced to play, as it fractures and realigns old divides between street and studio, and reinterprets the universal human struggle between our antagonistic instincts for freedom and control in the contemporary era. For Kill Pixie’s rapidly expanding audience around the world, the work points toward dynamic new understandings that will be necessary for survival in the future of our world.
Since 2006, Kill Pixie has shown in a constant stream of exhibitions in Los Angeles, London, Australia and Berlin. Izrock Pressings recently published his first book, Kill Communication. It includes 64 pages of fine art paintings and works on the street. Kill Pixie has also appeared in publications such as Juxtapoz, Modart Europe, Arkitip, and Monster Children. He currently lives and paints in Los Angeles, California.
Group Exhibitions
2009
THE OUTSIDER PROJECT - 12 MAY - 6 JUNE - KRISTIAN PITHIE GALLERY RICHMOND VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
HARD LEFT #2 - 21 MARCH - 16 MAY - MERRY KARNOWSKY GALLERY BERLIN - IN ASSOCIATION WITH PICTOPIA BERLIN "CHARACTER WALK"
KILL PIXIE, VEXTA AND ARI ATHANS - 10 MARCH - 28 MARCH - EDWINA CORLETTE GALLERY BRISBANE
OUT3 - 3 JANUARY - 31 MARCH - MOSTRA INTERNACIONAL D'ART URBA PUBLICITARI - OUTDOOR BILLBOARD EXHIBITION - BARCELONA, SPAIN
2008
SMALL GEMS - METRO 5 GALLERY - DECEMBER 10th - DECEMBER 23RD
BERLINER LISTE FAIR FOR CONTEMPORARY ART - OCTOBER 29th - OCT 30th MERRY KARNOWSKY GALLERY- SHEPARD FAIREY, CAMILLE ROSE GARCIA, KILL PIXIE
PARK LIFE - CURATED BY STUDIO NUMBER ONE - GROUP SHOW AT SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS
KILL PIXIE AND CLEON PETERSON - AUGUST 2nd - WHITE WALLS GALLERY SAN FRANSISCO
PARK LIFE GALLERY - SAN FRANCISCO – APRIL. TWO MAN SHOW w RYAN SHAFFER
THE ALTERNATIVE PHILOSIPHY -18 APRIL - 22 MAY - LEONARD STREET GALLERY LONDON
HARD LEFT - GROUP SHOW - MARCH 29 - APRIL 26 - GROUP SHOW - MERRY KARNOWSKY GALLERY
'WELCOME HOME' - FECAL FACE GROUP SHOW - FEBRUARY
HIGH MATH – 31st JANUARY - POOL GALLERY, BERLIN, GERMANY. GROUP SHOW including ED TEMPLETON, GEOFF MCFETRIDGE and SHEPARD FAIREY.
2007
ALL STAR HUSTLERS - DECEMBER - WHITE WALLS GALLERY SAN FRANSISCO
REPLACE ‘PLEASE’ WITH FAST AND ‘THANKYOU’ WITH GOOD – 3rd NOVEMBER - THE LAB 101 GALLERY, LOS ANGELES w ANTHONY LISTER AND KELSEY BROOKES
FECAL FACE 7.5 ANNIVERSARY GROUP SHOW – 3rd AUGUST – 111 MINNA GALLERY, SANFRANSICO
ACROSS THE BOARD ART EXHIBITION – 3rd AUGUST – WALL SPACE GALLERY, SURRY HILLS
BOOTLEGGER – 6th JUNE – UNTIL NEVER GALLERY MELBOURNE – GROUP SHOW
REFILL SEVEN – 15th APRIL – MTV GALLERY – GROUP SHOW
MINI PIECES EXHIBTION 8th –10th MARCH – MELBOURNE MUSEUM PLAZA – GROUP SHOW, LIVE PAINTING , CURATED BY LIFE LOUNGE
2006
SIXTEEN x TWELVE – 3rd NOVEMBER – MONSTER CHILDREN GALLERY – GROUP SHOW INCLUDING MIKE GIANT, FRENCH and IAN STEVENSON.
ALL CITY STYLE –10th MARCH – CHINA HEIGHTS GALLERY. GROUP SHOW
SEMI-PERMANENT ART SHOW – 27th FEBRUARY, THE BREADBOX GALLERY – GROUP SHOW including ANTHONY MICALLEF and TRAVIS MILLARD
WHAT THE FUCK? – 12th JANUARY – MONSTER CHILDREN GALLERY
Solo Exhibitions
2009
I'LL HIT YOU UP TOMORROW - 30 MAY - 27 JUNE - MERRY KARNOWSKY GALLERY LOS ANGELES
2008
SUPER SYSTEMS - 22 NOVEMBER - 20 DECEMBER - MERRY KARNOWSKY GALLERY BERLIN
EVERYTHING’S AOK - 20th FEBRUARY - UNTIL NEVER GALLERY, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
2007
KILL COMMUNICATION – 12th JULY – MONSTER CHLDREN GALLERY – ARTWORKS AND INSTALLATION BY KILL PIXIE
BAILBOND – 23rd FEBRUARY – CHINA HEIGHTS GALLERY – COLLABORATIVE ARTWORKS BY KILL PIXIE & EDWARD WOODLEY
2006
KILL PIXIE – 20th SEPTEMBER – UNTIL NEVER GALLERY – ARTWORKS AND INSTALLATION BY KILL PIXIE
IN THE WOODS – 15th July – CHINA HEIGHTS GALLERY – COLLABORATIVE ARTWORKS BY KILL PIXIE & EDWARD WOODLEY
KILL PIXIE – 10th FEBRUARY – CHINA HEIGHTS GALLERY – ARTWORKS AND INSTALLATION BY KILL PIXIE
Books
2008
MONOGRAPH - 64 PAGES - TITLE: KILL COMMUNICATION - PUBLISHED BY IZROCK PRESSINGS, SUPPORTED BY MONSTER CHILDREN GALLERY
Selected Publications
2009
LA WEEKLY - 28 MAY ISSUE - REVIEW
STYLE AND THE FAMILY TUNES MAGAZINE - APRIL ISSUE - ARTIST FEATURE INTERVIEW
ARTIST PROFILE - MAY ISSUE - ARTIST FEATURE INTERVIEW
FECAL FACE STUDIO VISIT - 30 MARCH - http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1459
VICE MAGAZINE ARTIST ISSUE - VOLUME 6 #11
2008
CREATIVEFACE.NET - DECEMBER - REVIEW - http://creativeface.net/magazine/pixie-und-louie/merry-karnowsky-gallery-berlin/236/
VICE MAGAZINE - DECEMBER - ARTIST INTERVIEW
ANTHEM MAGAZINE ONLINE NOVEMBER - KILL PIXIE/MARK WHALEN - INTERVIEW - http://www.anthemmagazine.com/story/1079
SUNDAY MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER - GRAFFITI HAS GONE UP MARKET
JUXTAPOZ OCTOBER SHOW STOPPERS- KILLPIXIE AND CLEON PETERSON
MODART EUROPE -ISSUE 18- FRONT COVER / ARTICLE- OUTSIDE IN
VOGUE - MARCH- ARTICLE ON STREET ARTISTS - ANTHONY LISTER,KILL PIXIE,KAWS AND BANKSY
ARKITIP – ISSUE 044 – PUBLISHED WORKS - HIGHMATH BERLIN CATALOGUE
2007
ARKITIP MAGAZINE – ISSUE 043 07 – 10 PAGE ARTIST PROFILE
SUN HERALD – 4th Aug 07 – KILL COMMUNICATION
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD – 29th July 07 – KILL COMMUNICATION
NYLON MAGAZINE AMERICA – JULY 07 – MONSTER CHILDREN GALLERY / SYDNEY ARTIST KILL PIXIE
MONSTER CHILDREN – ISSUE 14 – 07 – STUDIO VISIT – KILL PIXIE
2006
MONSTER CHILDREN – ISSUE 11 – KILL PIXIE VS NECKFACE
KING BROWN – ISSUE 1 – KILL PIXIE
OYSTER MAGAZINE – ISSUE 64 – 06 – IN FOR THE KILL
BELLE MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 06 – DOUBLE ACT – KILL PIXIE/EDWARD WOODLEY, COLLABORATION OPENING ‘IN THE WOODS’