Frank Trankina, professor of art in the NIU School of Art and Design has been selected as one of the Illinois Arts Council Fellows for 2024. The Illinois Artist Fellowship provides a limited number of monetary awards annually to accomplished Illinois artists who have created a significant body of work throughout their career. The aim of the fellowships is to enrich and strengthen the state by supporting top artists who are the foundation of Illinois’ creative environment.
Trankina is an internationally exhibited artist and painter, who, for the past 35 years has been creating narrative paintings by combining characters from his extensive collection of remnants of popular culture within the context of still life painting.
In his most recent works, Trankina explores art culture and painting, being referential by setting up and painting ‘art galleries.’
Trankina has exhibited at:
- University of Cambridge Kettle’s Yard (Cambridge, England)
- Megumi Ogita (Tokyo, Japan)
- Exco Daegu (South Korea)
- Art Busan (Busan, South Korea)
- Alpineum Prduzentengalaerie (Lucerne, Switzerland)
- 100 Tonson Fundation and VER Gallery (Bangkok, Thailand).
His noted national and regional exhibitions include:
- Tibor de Nagy Gallery – Spring Break Show (New York City)
- ArtBasel (Miami, Fla.)
- American University Museum (Washington, D.C.)
- Illinois State Museum
- Rockford Art Museum (Rockford, Ill.)
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Union League Club of Chicago
- Hyde Park Art Center (Hyde Park, Ill.)
Trankina’s paintings have been collected into international and national private collections in Indonesia, Switzerland, Japan, Chicago, New York and Washington DC. His work is in public permanent collections in places like Elmhurst Art Museum, Rockford Art Museum, John Michael Kohler Art Preserve and others.
