about
Maxwell Fertik is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose work flows between the various languages of function and the material ecologies of the postindustrial age. Max has exhibited domestically and abroad, and his work with invasive species was shown most recently in the 2023 Venice Design Biennial.
CV
1996: born in Providence 2015 – 2019: Trinity College, Hartford, CT | BA Studio Art and Art History 2021 – 2023: Rhode Island School of Design | Masters of Industrial Design
2018: Elisave School of Design | Erasmus
PROJECTS AND EXHIBITIONS
2024
Gelman Gallery at RISD Museum, Rubrica, Providence, RI
2023
Design x RI Design Week, Machines with Magnets, Pawtucket, RI
North American Hand Papermakers Conference, Providence, RI
Venice Design Biennial, Auto-Exotic, Venice, IT
RISD Grad Show, RI Convention Center, Providence, RI
Apartment 13 Gallery, Scene, Providence, RI
Sol Koffler Gallery, emotional // durable: RISD Graduate Industrial Design Biennial (lead curator/exhibitor), Providence, RI
2022
Gelman Gallery at RISD Museum, Go Thither, Providence, RI
ProvWash Gallery, Sustainable Futures: Co-Creating with Nature: Hyundai Research Collaborative Exhibition, Providence, RI
Woods-Gerry Gallery, RISD Industrial Design Triennial, Providence, RI
Sol Koffler Gallery, a moment that lasts beyond now, Providence, RI
Gelman Gallery at RISD Museum, Residual Hauntings,Providence, RI
Regenerative Earth Plot at RISD, Eco-tonal, Providence, RI
2021
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, Little Museum of Art, Charlottesville, VA
161 ID GALLERY, Arkhive, Providence, RI
2020
Waterfire Arts Center, Fine Furnishings Show, Providence, RI
Machines with Magnets, un/comforts, Pawtucket, RI
Warwick Center for the Arts, 34th Annual Rhode Island Open, Warwick, RI
Hygienic Art, Hygienic XLI, New London, CT
2019
Higher Art Gallery, Small Works Annual, Traverse City, MI
Cluster Gallery, WERQ, Brooklyn, NY
Greenpoint Gallery, People’s Choice Show, Brooklyn, NY
Widener Gallery, Studio Arts Annual, Hartford, CT
2018
Elisava Escola Superior de Dissenyi, International Student Annual, Barcelona, Spain
LECTURES
2024
Lecture | “Post-Industrial Ecologies” | Craft History Workshop | Bard Graduate Center
2023
Artist Talk | “Post-Industrial Playbook++” | University of Maine Sculpture | Orono, ME
Lecture | “Biomaterials and Furniture” | Future Spaces and Autonomous Vehicles | RISD NatureLab
Presenter | “Grappling with the Disentanglement Toolkit” | RISD Grad Exchange | Providence, RI
Presenter | “Critical Artifacts” | NARWC | New Bedford Whaling Museum | New Bedford, MA
2016
Presenter | “Material Culture of the Writing Center” | NEWCA | Pace University, NY
RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
2024 Narragansett Bay Estuary Program Grant with Below and Above Collective, RI
2023
Somerson Sustainability and Innovation Fellowship, Rhode Island School of Design, RI
The Soil Factory Residency, Ithaca, NY
Rachel Carson Environmental Design Award, Rhode Island School of Design, RI
2022
Hyundai Motor Group x RISD Research Fellowship, Rhode Island School of Design, RI
RISD Graduate Commons Grant, Rhode Island School of Design, RI
2020
RISD Graduate Fellowship Award, Rhode Island School of Design, RI
2019
Watkinson Creative Fellowship, Trinity College, CT
Esther and Lloyd Cooper Prize in Fine Arts, Trinity College, CT
Jacqueline Caples Prize in Sculpture, Trinity College, CT
Studio Arts Presidential Fellow, Trinity College, CT
2018
Catalyst Research Grant, Bolton, Quebec, Artist in Residence at Simon Johns Design
2017
Thomas Patton Baird Fellowship, Barcelona, Spain, Elisava School of Design
PUBLICATIONS
2024
“Oasis” on Floating wetland on front page of Providence Journal
“Floating Wetland takes Root in Providence” in ecoRI
“Japanese Knotweed with a silver lining” in Garland Magazine
“Knotweed Raft” featured in Momentum Magazine Interview on “dis/assembly” with Common Dimensions
2023
“Award-Winning Floating Wetland Possible Remedy for Blue-Green Algae Blooms” in ecoRI News
“A Matter of Facts” published in the Spring 2023 issue of RISD’s volume.1
“death pneumatics” published in the Winter 2023 issue of RISD’s volume.1
2022
“The 2022 Grad Show” published in the Fall 2022 issue of RISD’s volume.1
“untitled (age iterations)” published in KubaParis
“Allens Ave. and Nonplaceness” published in the Spring 2022 issue of RISD’s volume.1
“On Shahzia Sikander’s Epistrophe” published in the Winter 2022 issue of RISD’s volume.1
2021
“Meditations on Viewership” published in the Spring 2021 issue of RISD’s volume.1
2020
“Making un/comforts” published in the Fall 2020 issue of RISD’s volume.1
“Virtual Exhibit Showcases Art Inspired by Quarantine” Providence Monthly
“Shows of the Week: un/comforts 8/05” ARTLAND
“Alumni Spotlight - Maxwell Fertik ‘19” Trinity College Alumni News
“WINDÖS — MAXWELL FERTIK” The Bedroom Vault
“Hygienic Art brings art, music and film to downtown New London” The Day
2019
“Artist Spotlight: Maxwell Fertik” Kunstkammer: Princeton University Journal of Art Issue 2
2024-Present Lecturer | Comprehensive Design | Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design at Indiana University
2024 Educator | New Urban Arts | “Floating Artlands” with Holly Ewald
2024 Guest Lecturer | Wentworth Institute | Senior Studio Workshop
2023 Instructor | RISD CE | “Product Design”
2023 Educator | DownCity Design | “Design/Build” with Ayuma Kodama at PCTA
2023 Graduate Faculty | RISD Industrial Design | “Critical Artifact” with Max Werner
2022 Graduate Assistant | RISD Industrial Design | “Biodesign” for Jen Bissonette and Peter Yeadon
2022 Graduate Assistant | RISD Industrial Design | “Design Principles II” for Ayako Maruyama
2021 Graduate Assistant | RISD Industrial Design | “Hybrid Realities” for Joy Ko
2021-23 Writing Tutor | RISD Center for Arts & Language
2015-19 Writing Associate | Trinity College Writing Center
DESIGN
2023-Present
Designer | Altimeter Design Group
Fellow | Somerson Sustainability and Innovation Fund
2021-23
Editor in Chief | volume.1, RISD literary publication
2022
Design Fellow | RISD x Hyundai Research Collaborative
Design Researcher | NOAA Fisheries, Gloucester, MA
2021
Apparel Designer | Cleverhood, Providence, RI
2019
Studio Assistant | FOS // Studio Grotta Nuova, Copenhagen, DK