KAREL APPEL Galerie 33, 1986

Original first printing exhibition poster created for a 1986 retrospective of Karel Appel’s work held at Galerie 33 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The poster features a vivid and expressive composition characteristic of Appel’s style—two abstract, mask-like faces rendered in bold blocks of color including red, green, blue, yellow, and pink. Thick black contour lines and simplified forms create a playful yet intense visual dialogue between the figures.

Appel, a founding member of the influential COBRA movement, was known for his spontaneous, childlike approach to painting and use of powerful color contrasts. This poster reflects those qualities and functions as both an exhibition announcement and a striking graphic work in its own right.

The lower margin bears Appel’s printed signature and the exhibition details: “Galerie 33 – Nørrebrogade 33 – København – Feb. 1986.”

Produced in limited quantities for the exhibition, first printing posters such as this are increasingly sought after by collectors of COBRA movement works, modern European art, and artist-designed exhibition posters.