In an era where digital art and hyper-polished visuals dominate global galleries and social media feeds, Kristina Mallen’s newest collection offers a refreshing, almost rebellious return to tactile, visceral storytelling. Working in France in 2025, Mallen’s latest series — rendered in acrylic and oil on cardboard — stands as a testament to her evolving philosophy: that true artistic intimacy resides not in perfection but in vulnerability, texture, and imperfection.
Acrylic and oil on cardboard may sound like an unconventional choice for a rising star in contemporary art, but for Mallen, this material selection is both aesthetic and ideological. This choice reflects a deep engagement with the material world, a willingness to embrace fragility, and an intentional divergence from the sterile, machine-like surfaces we’ve grown accustomed to in contemporary art spaces.
The Artist’s Journey: From Technique to Philosophy
Kristina Mallen has always been a shape-shifter in the art world. Born in 1993, she began her career experimenting with abstract watercolor and ink, exploring organic shapes and intuitive mark-making. Early in her career, critics described her work as “ethereal,” a term she both accepted and rejected.
By the late 2010s, Mallen transitioned to denser, more layered compositions, reflecting her growing interest in psychological landscapes rather than purely aesthetic beauty. She began incorporating unconventional materials — found paper, recycled plastics, and eventually, cardboard — each addition a deliberate commentary on disposability and permanence.
Her move to France in 2022 marked a crucial turning point. Immersed in the country’s rich artistic heritage, from the expressive brushwork of the Fauves to the raw energy of Art Brut, Mallen began to focus on immediacy and authenticity rather than grandiose statements. France became not just a geographical relocation but a spiritual and artistic rebirth.
Cardboard as Canvas: Philosophy and Practice
Why cardboard? For Mallen, the answer lies in the material’s paradoxical nature. Cardboard is ubiquitous yet overlooked, fragile yet resilient. It exists as a transient object — a vessel for shipping, storing, and discarding. By elevating this material into the realm of fine art, Mallen critiques consumer culture and underscores the transient nature of contemporary existence.
Cardboard’s coarse texture absorbs acrylic and oil paint unevenly, producing unpredictable effects that Mallen actively welcomes. Each brushstroke interacts differently, creating layered textures, accidental ridges, and gradients that would be impossible to replicate on traditional canvas.
In an interview during her Paris residency, Mallen noted, “Cardboard reminds me that control is an illusion. I start with a plan, but the material demands negotiation. It’s a conversation, not a monologue.”
Acrylic and Oil: An Unlikely Union
Combining acrylic and oil paints is technically complex, as acrylics dry quickly while oils linger, allowing for extended manipulation. Mallen exploits this tension masterfully. Her process often begins with broad acrylic washes, laying a vibrant, spontaneous foundation. Once set, she introduces oil layers, which she describes as “slow, breathing skin,” creating depth and nuanced transitions.
The fusion of these mediums symbolizes the interplay of immediacy and reflection — a visual metaphor for the modern human experience, where rapid technological advances collide with our deep, enduring emotional currents.
Mallen’s works glow with dynamic energy, yet they invite close, contemplative engagement. One might encounter bursts of citrus orange and cobalt blue beside muted earth tones, all intertwined within a labyrinth of fine lines and bold gestures.
The French Context: Inspiration and Influence
France has long been fertile ground for artistic reinvention. From the Impressionists’ radical outdoor studies to the Cubists’ fragmented realities, the French artistic lineage champions experimentation and personal expression. Mallen’s 2025 collection clearly draws on this spirit.
Her work resonates with echoes of Pierre Soulages’ obsession with black and light, and Jean Dubuffet’s raw, almost childlike aesthetic. Yet she also channels contemporary movements, weaving in the immediacy and urgency found in street art and ephemeral installations.
Strolling through her temporary studio in Marseille, one might find windows thrown open to the Mediterranean breeze, cardboard panels leaning against sun-washed walls, and jars of pigments scattered across old wooden tables. This setting reflects her immersive process: each piece feels like a direct product of place, weather, and atmosphere.
Themes and Motifs: Fragmented Memories
At the core of Mallen’s new series are themes of memory, impermanence, and transformation. Many pieces explore fragmented figures — human silhouettes broken by splashes of color or hidden beneath layers of gestural marks. Some compositions suggest landscapes, while others evoke dreamlike interiors, filled with echoing forms and floating symbols.
In works like “Sans Titre (Bleu Mémoire)” and “Éclat d’Instant,” Mallen navigates the border between representation and abstraction. Faces emerge and dissolve, suggesting the fleeting nature of identity and perception. Her use of color oscillates between luminous optimism and muted melancholy, embodying the emotional dualities we all carry.
Her titles, often left ambiguous or entirely absent, further emphasize interpretive freedom. As she puts it, “I want viewers to finish the painting in their minds. Art is most alive when it becomes a mirror.”
Reception and Critical Response
While Mallen’s choice of humble materials initially puzzled some collectors and critics, the emotional and conceptual depth of her pieces quickly won widespread acclaim. Major French art magazines like Art Press and Beaux Arts have featured glowing reviews, praising her bold use of texture and raw emotional power.
International collectors are taking note too. At Art Basel Paris this spring, her works sold out within the first two days, attracting interest from galleries in New York, Berlin, and Tokyo. Meanwhile, her Instagram feed — a candid mix of work-in-progress shots, personal musings, and studio glimpses — has become a digital touchpoint for young artists and fans worldwide.
Mallen’s Place in Contemporary Art
Kristina Mallen represents a growing shift in contemporary art towards authenticity, sustainability, and human connection. In an industry increasingly dominated by digital renderings and AI-generated pieces, her tactile, analog approach feels both nostalgic and radical.
Her commitment to accessible materials challenges notions of artistic elitism. By transforming cardboard into poetic, luminous surfaces, Mallen reminds us that beauty often lies in the overlooked and discarded.
She is part of a broader movement that questions value systems — not only in art but in society at large. Her work encourages viewers to slow down, reflect, and engage with materiality and memory in intimate, personal ways.
Art as Vulnerability
Kristina Mallen’s 2025 acrylic and oil on cardboard series is more than just an aesthetic triumph. It is a call to embrace vulnerability, imperfection, and the ephemeral textures of life. In every brushstroke, we find echoes of history, fragments of memory, and the gentle insistence that art is not merely to be seen but to be felt — deeply and collectively.
In the quiet dialogue between her rough cardboard surfaces and the rich, layered pigments, Mallen offers us a space for contemplation and connection. It is in this intimate encounter that her art transcends materials and trends, asserting itself as a testament to the enduring power of human expression.
Looking Ahead: A Global Future
After her current French collection, Mallen plans to continue experimenting with hybrid materials, potentially incorporating natural fibers and pigments sourced from rural landscapes. She has hinted at future residencies in South America and Asia, eager to explore new cultural and environmental contexts.
Yet, regardless of where she goes, the essence of her practice remains rooted in a singular mission: to bridge the gap between the seen and the felt, the ephemeral and the eternal.
