'I fell in love with playing in my childhood and I never wanted to stop.'

Denise Fort is an artist living in the coastal town Raglan in New Zealand.

She graduated with a degree in Industrial Design at the University of Applied Science in Munich, Germany in 2007. Denise worked in the design industry as a concept drawer, illustrator and graphic designer for several years in Europe and New Zealand.

2009, in New Zealand, Denise started to work as an artist and since 2013 until today she is working full time as an artist.

Her style changed completely from European architectural-inspired detailed drawings to bold black marker lines. In New Zealand her art was mainly inspired by its nature and landscape which she turned into her own fantasy world of helicopter robots ... . With her style, she got commissioned for several mural works in New Zealand throughout the country.

Well traveled, she left her mark in Asia and Europe and exhibited in several countries around the world. 2014 she opened her studio and gallery in the coastal town Raglan, New Zealand. Getting itchy feed after 3 years running her own Gallery, seeking new inspiration she went traveling again to Canada and bounced around for the past 2 years between Canada, Europe and New Zealand with her everlasting question in mind how to be closer to friends and family in Europe while living her dream in New Zealand.

But she decided New Zealand remains her home!

TV One came to visit when Denise worked out of her home studio at Manubay, Raglan, New Zealand:

2002-2007

2006 - 2010

2010-2013

since 2013

2020

2019

2017

2015

2014

2009-2014

2012

2011

Degree

University for Applied Science of Munich | Dipl.Industrial Designer ( German FH | 4 years )

With one semester at the Free University of Bolzano | Italy

Freelance since 2006 in Product Design, Graphic Design, Illustration & Art

Designer at BIOZONE | Hamilton, New Zealand

until today - Full Time Artist

Selection of Mural Work

Artist in Residency | Surfboard Art & Mural | Great Barrier Island, New Zealand

Artist in Residency | Tiny House Mural | Raglan, New Zealand

Artist in Residency | Piano Mural | Raglan, New Zealand

Artist in Residency | Mural | Wellington, New Zealand

Community Project | Piano Mural | Salt Spring Island, Canada

Black Coffee | Mural | Wellington, New Zealand

Empty Space | Mural Work | Te Kuiti, New Zealand

Hamilton Street Art Festival | Mural Work | Hamilton, New Zealand

Private Commission | Container/Tiny House Mural | Raglan, New Zealand

Private Commission | Skatebowl Mural | Raglan, New Zealand

Mimi's Cafe | Walls, Surfboards, Plates, Signs, Phones... | Cherating, Malaysia

Homage Store | Mural | Berlin, Germany

Heimatpunk & Luxusbaba | Mural | Munich, Germany

Kiwirail & Creative Waikato | Mural | Huntly, New Zealand

Community Hub Huntly West & Creative Waikato | Mural | Huntly, NZ

Raglan Roast | Murals for several Coffee Shops | Raglan & Wellington, New Zealand

Beach Bar & Co. | Murals and Signs | Cherating, Malaysia

U-Leisure Building, Waikato University | Mural on Windows | Hamilton, New Zealand

Ronald McDonald House/ DROGA5, Starship | Mural for the Kitchen | Auckland, New Zealand

02-03/2020

03/2019

01-02-03/2019

10/2019

08/2018

03/2018

11/2017

05/2017

2015-17

01/2017

2014-2017

12/2016

01/2016

12/2015

06/2015

05/2015

04/2015

01/2015

12/2014

11/2014

10/2014

09/2014

08/2014

07/2014

03/2014

02/2014

01/2014

12/2011

10/2011

06/2011

05/2010

04/2010

03/2010

02/2010

12/2009

11/2009

04/2009

05/2009

06/2009

02/2008

05/2008

2007

2006

2017

2014

2013

2010

2008-2010

2009

2008-2010

2008

Exhibitions & PopUps

All planned Exhibitions in 2020 are canceled / Stay safe!

Ponsonby Central | 3 x Pop Up Exhibition | Auckland, New Zealand

BOON Exhibition | Hamilton, New Zealand

Ponsonby Central | 3 x Pop Up Exhibition | Auckland, New Zealand

Slice of Life | Vancouver, Canada

Wheel of Time Gallery | Vancouver, Canada

BOON | Exhibition | Hamilton, New Zealand

The Eastside Culture Crawl | Open Studio | Vancouver | Canada

Woodstove Festival | Market | Cumberland | Canada

Ponsonby Central | Pop Up Exhibition | Auckland | New Zealand

The Mandarin | Exhibition | Gordonton | New Zealand

DENISE FORT ART Gallery & Studio

Raglan Arts Weekend | Open Studio

Preview Exhibition 300 x 300 | Raglan | New Zealand

Raglan Christmas Exhibition | Raglan | New Zealand

Raglan Arts Weekend | Raglan | New Zealand

Popup Shop | Ponsonby Central | Auckland, New Zealand

NZ Art Show| Wellington, New Zealand

Little Umbrella | Tauranga, New Zealand

InGoodCompany | Auction | Wellington, New Zealand

The Blanks Project | Exhibition | Wellington, New Zealand

InGoodCompany | Exhibition | Wellington, New Zealand

Debrasic | Thames, New Zealand

Denise Fort Studio | Raglan, New Zealand

Popup Shop | Ponsonby Central | Auckland, New Zealand

Raglan Art Weekend | Raglan, New Zealand

Lichtblick21 Gallery | Munich, Germany

PRINTA Gallery | Budapest, Hungary

The Raglan Spirit of Christmas Art Show | Raglan, New Zealand

HOMAGE STORE | NEWember | Berlin, Germany

Heimatpunk & Luxusbaba | Open Westend Studios | Munich, Germany

Mondscheinbazar | Artist Section | Vienna, Austria

Art Sale | Hamilton, New Zealand

Life Drawing Mural at Homage Store | Berlin, Germany

NZ Art Show, Single Artist Wall | Wellington, New Zealand

INK Exhibition | Matchbox Studios | Wellington, New Zealand

Creative Waikato | Hamilton, New Zealand

Raglan Art Trail | Raglan, New Zealand

DRAW Inc. | Hamilton, New Zealand

Artifice Exhibition | Hamilton, New Zealand

Nautical Exhibition | Hamilton, New Zealand

The Other Universe | Waikato University | Hamilton, New Zealand

Raglan Art Trail | Raglan, New Zealand

KALI | SURFERS WHO ART | Raglan, New Zealand

DROP Exhibition | Lausanne, Switzerland

STROKE.02 with sketched and LEGO together | Munich, Germany

Solo Exhibition “Matapihi“ Art Gallery | Raglan, New Zealand

SHIFT | Live Drawing | Auckland, New Zealand

YUMYUM | Live Painting with Sketched together | Munich, Germany

LEGO Style Convention | Munich, Germany

DOWNTOWN ARTWALK | Los Angeles, USA

SHIFT | Live Drawing | Auckland, New Zealand

LaFraise | Westberlin Galery | Berlin, Germany

Designparcours | Munich, Germany

Cinema Cafe | Mural Commission | Bolzano, Italy

Publications

Interview for WaikatoTimes

Featured on Creative Waikato

TV ONE ( see video at the top )

Interview in the Raglan Chronicle

Publication in re.flect magazine | Munich

Publication book „choisgallery“ | Shanghai, China

Publications in books like: „Graphics @ Space", China | “Zeixs“, Germany | „BASTA“, Germany

Magazine XFUNS | Taipei, Taiwan | Interview |

Magazine HOMECONCEPT | Malaysia | Interview

Several times featured on and other blogs, websites, magazines

Online magazine Iniciativa Colectiva |

TV Documentation BR alpha | „Campus Extra“ | „Design zwischen Kunst& Handwerk“ ( engl. )

Design in between Art & Handcraft | Interview ( Bavaria, Germany )

Newspaper | Süddeutsche Zeitung | article about Exhibition Designparcours ( Bavaria, Germany )

Newspaper | Süddeutsche Zeitung | article about me as Illustrator ( Bavaria, Germany )

2008

Award

Denise got an award for an exhibition design concept. The show was called "Forum Young Design"/ "Design Parcours" in Munich. It got actually implemented with Denise's help.

since 2006 - 2010

Selection of Projects / Collaborations as an Artist and Illustrator

IDEO, Munich - several times concept drawing - Pharmacy Industry

AIT Magazin, Stuttgart - several times design invitation cards for events

BEST KITEBOARDING - Fashion & Graphic Design

INVENT GROUP - several times Packaging & Graphic Design, Illustrations

INNOVATION EUROPE - concept drawing

DORNIER / Talents of the World - designing bags, purses, and accessories

PETER-SCHMIDT-GROUP, Munich - concept drawing - client HUGO BOSS

SNK SCHOENE NEUE KINDER - several times Graphic Design and Illustrations

TEK ENGRUBER - 3D drawing with CAD, Graphic Design work like catalog, logo

STUDIO LUFT / VILLEROY & BOCH - Product Design - designing dining set

THOKK THOKK - several times T-shirt Design

HIERMEIER KG/STERNTHALER - Art Director for designing a booth for the Christmas market in Munich

N3TWORK / Red Bull - T-shirt Design

TATUIT - Product Illustrations

SKINEKIN -Product Illustrations

TEESHED - T-shirt Design

CORNERSTONE ROOTS - Illustrations for CD-Cover, T-shirt & website

CHINASKY RECORDS - CD Album Designs

TULPENKIND - Webpage Design & Illustrations

SEBASTIAN SCHULKE/PARADISO - illustrations and design for a children book

HAND ME DOWNS - Designs & Illustrations for poster, web & business card

DROGA5 for ASB mural for Ronald McDonald House Auckland

THIEVES&HONOUR T-shirt Design

BlabberingTreeCollective Logo Design

Little Lapin Merchandise

MET OCEANS Graphic Design / Branding

BIOZONE Rebranding

And many more ...

+ several jobs as an artist with drawing on walls in households, coffee shops and on cars in Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Malaysia