Kevin Wendall (FA-Q)
Yellow Pear Nose
Acrylic on Paper
24“ x 18”
About
Kevin Wendall (1956–2011), also known as FA-Q, was an American artist celebrated for his emotionally charged, finger-painted portraits that merged abstraction and figuration. Born and raised in Ohio, where he attended the Cooper School of Art as well as Baldwin Wallace College. Wendall moved to New York City in the 1980s, where he became an integral member of the Rivington School, an East Village collective known for its irreverent and raw approach to art-making.
Wendall's work is defined by a visceral immediacy. Through intense circular gestures and spontaneous color mixing, he created vivid, distorted faces that communicated directly from the psyche. Often painted entirely with his hands, these works served as a direct emotional release, bypassing conventional tools and methods. His visual language drew from underground comics, Rat Fink bubblegum cards, Mad Magazine, and African masks, while also reflecting the influence of artists such as Philip Guston and the Dutch COBRA movement.
Wendall received a scholarship to study in Finland and later held an artist residency in Düsseldorf, Germany. These formative experiences expanded his artistic worldview and informed his unique aesthetic. A pivotal collaboration with Italian avant-garde artist Enrico Baj further enriched his creative development and deepened his connection to European postwar art movements.
His work has been acquired by major institutions and private collections around the world. Notable holdings include the Enrico Baj Collection, the Santa Barbara Museum, the Nagoya College of Art, the University of Helsinki, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Artist Book Collection, the Giancarlo Politti Collection, and the Karel Appel Collection.
EDUCATION Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, OH, Major: Fine Arts Cooper School of Art, Cleveland, OH, Major: Fine Arts Cuvahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH, Major: Fine Arts Collaborations with Enrico Baj, Milan, Italy Rivington School, New York, NY HONORS & AWARDS/GRANTS 1990: American Center. Kvoto, Japan Travel Grant 1988: Hankyu Five Department Store. Osaka, Japan Travel Grant 1986: University of Helsinki. Finland Travel Grant BIBLIOGRAPHY Mark Kostabi and the East Village Scene. Matteo Editore, 2003 Kevin Wendall FA-Q. Fondazione Europa, 1998 Conversazione colt Enrico Baj. Eleuthera, 1997 Prison Life Magazine. Nov. 1996, cover story Fairpress. 1993 Ecologia dell’Arte. Rizzoli, 1990, p.219 New Art Examiner. Nov.1989, p.28-32 New Art Examiner. Sept. 1989, p.56 Washington Times. March 23, 1989, pE3 Five Star Press. Oct. 1988, No.41 Cityweek. Oct 10, 1988, p58 The Villager. Feb. 18, 1988, p9 Downtown. Dec. 2, 1987, p9A The New Common Good. Feb/March 1987, p.6 New York. Jan 19, 1987, p.15 Downtown. Dec 10, 1986, p3A Garten + Landschaft. Sept.1986, p.8 Panorama. June 8, 1986, p.157 Red Tape. May 1986 La Stampa. May 1986, Vol. 120 No. 124, p.3 NY Daily News. Jan. 1986 Jltalehti. 1986 High Performance. Issue 36, 1986, p.18 Uusi Suomi. 1986, p.14,18 Ilta Sanomat. 1986, p.29 Ilta Sanomat. 1986, p19 WORK IN COLLECTIONS Enrico Baj Collection Santa Barbara Museum. Santa Barbara, California Nagoya College of Art. Nagoya, Japan University of Helsinki. Finland Metropolitan Museum of Art. Artist Book Collection; New York City Giancarlo Politti Collpction Karel Appel Collection PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1994-1996: Richard Serra, Sculptor’s Assistant, New York, NY 1990-1 992: James Havard, Artist Assistant, New York, NY, 1986-1 988: Studio Museum of Harlem, Installation Assistant, New York, NY 1984-1986: American Craft Museum, Installation Assistant, New York, NY 1982-1 984: Red Grooms, Artist Assistant, New York, NY 1979-1 982: St. Anthony’s Home for Boys, and art teacher/therapist, Cleveland, OH SELECTED EXHIBITIONS SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2001: Gallery Kawafune. Tokyo, Japan 2000: Gallery Kawafune. Tokyo, Japan 1998 Dec.15, Milan, Italy 1997: Gallery Kawafune. Tokyo, Japan 1995: Studio Marconi. Milan, Italy 1993: Now Gallery. New York, NY 1992: Emerging Collector. New York, NY 1992: Studio Marconi. Milan, Italy 1986: Ratingerhof Club. Dusseldorf, Germany GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2004: Art from Marz, Tompkins Square Library. New York, NY 2004: KCDC Skateshop. Williamsburg, NY 2002: Summer Group Show, Gallery 128. New York, NY 2001: Firehouse #5 Gallery. NYC 1993: Sixth Sense Gallery. New York, NY 1993: Civilian Warfare Gallery. New York, NY 1993: New York Now (this minute), East Village Art. Anthrax Gallery, Stamford, CT 1993: St. Marks Gallery. New York, NY 1992: Dramatis Personae. New York, NY 1989: L’Arsenale, ii Laboratorio e l’Artista. Amalfi. Italy 1988: Street Collaboration ‘88, Hankyu Five. Osaka, Japan 1986: NYC Street Art, Vahnhan Gallery. Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland 1986: Gra!tti and Street Art, Suomen Aino Gallery. Helsinki, Finland, 1986 OTHER CATEGORIES 1990: Mural for the American Center, Osaka, Japan 1986: Artist in Residence: Kunst Academie, Dusseldorf, West Germany 1986: Artist in Residence: Enrico Baj Studio Online exhibition at www.andor-net.com
If you are interested in more information, check out Lift Trucks Art Project's essay on FA-Q: