Markus Åkesson
Markus Åkesson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Dan Markus Åkesson 10 July 1975 |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Website | www.markusakesson.com |
Markus Åkesson (born 10 July 1975)[1] is a Swedish painter and sculptor. He lives and works in Nybro, Sweden with his wife, the ceramist Ellen Ehk,[2] and their children.[3] His studio is in the former Glass Factory at Pukeberg[4] in Nybro.
He is represented by Galerie Da-End in Paris[5], Berg Gallery in Stockholm and by VIDA Museum & Konsthall on Öland in Sweden.[6] His works are represented in private and public collections such as The Alice L. Walton Foundation, The Lord James Palumbo Collection, Jacques-Antoine Granjon Collection, and Foundation Francés.[7]
Early life and education
Åkesson was born in the small village of Sporsjö outside of Kalmar in South-East Sweden.[8] His father worked as a forester, and his mother, a homemaker. Åkesson was the youngest of four boys and spent many childhood hours sketching the world around him.[9] In an interview with Johanna Sandell from the book, Insomnia, Åkesson says "To anyone who knows my history, it’s not difficult to see connections [to my childhood] in my paintings. I grew up in the countryside, in the forest. I played a lot on my own, I was always out in the forest and I drew a lot".[10]
Not coming from an artistic family, Åkesson’s creativity manifested itself in the ways that came most naturally in his world. In high school, he studied to be a mechanic and spent his free time airbrushing designs on cars and motorcycles. Growing up in the heart of Sweden's "Crystal Kingdom" it was natural for the artistically inclined to gravitate towards work in the glass industry and he took a job as a glass engraver after high school graduation.[11]
Unlike many of his Scandinavian peers, Åkesson has limited formal academic training. He studied briefly at Ölands Folkhögskola, but is otherwise self-taught, taking most of his cues from history, philosophy, and literature.
Artistic practice
Åkesson's realistic style of oil painting was not in vogue during his early years as an artist and one of the modern world's most traditional forms of visual art was therefore considered an untraditional choice for a young Scandinavian artist in the 1990's. However, after establishing himself locally, Markus Åkesson had several solo exhibitions and public works projects early on in his career that proved to be important stepping stones towards his current representation and international acknowledgment. Da-End Gallery reached out to collaborate with Markus, having him participate in Art Paris Art Fair in 2013 and many other exhibitions, which boosted his popularity in France. Creating a snowball effect, his popularity in the French art market influenced his popularity in Sweden.
In his early years, his work revolved around themes such as the passage from childhood to adolescence, with a tinge of mystery and a rather dark atmosphere. He then gradually began to focus on fabric and its patterns, which eventually became the primary subject of his paintings, especially with his exhibition Strange Days shown at Da-End Gallery.
Markus Åkesson's artistic tone has been likened to that of the Pre-Raphaelites, a group from which he has indicated that he has drawn a great deal of inspiration. Contrastingly, his work with patterns and fabrics is laced with symbolism and is an obvious point to Magical Realism in its more recent definition.[12] A commentary on Åkesson’s solo exhibition Strange Days written by French critic Grégoire Prangé describes his work by saying, "A painting by Magritte comes to mind, a magnificent kiss from two veiled lovers, an impersonal embrace, universal love. In all these works, hidden behind a succession of mythical motifs, lies human nature and all its secrets. But Markus, by drawing the contours of it, little by little, will end up painting its portrait."[13]
Collaboration
Undercover's fashion designer Jun Takahashi and Markus Åkesson collaborated to create a limited series of shawls for the Fall/Winter 2014 ready-to-wear collection. After meeting in 2013 at his exhibition The Woods at Da-End Gallery, they sympathized and Jun Takahashi bought one of his paintings. He then contacted Markus and they decided to print two of his images on shawls, which were shown at the Palais de Tokyo during Paris Fashion Week.[14]
They reiterated their collaboration for the menswear Fall/Winter 2021 collection, in which 4 of Markus Åkesson's paintings were selected (Chesterfield dreams (Edvin), 2011, Childs Play, 2011, Insomnia (Moths), 2017, The Woods (Insomnia), 2013) and printed on parkas, knitwear, sweatshirts...[15]
Sleeping Beauty scandal
Åkesson often speaks of a "mythical world that parallels everyday life". It was natural then, that his works often reflected the mysteries of childhood during the years that his own children were young.[16] During this time he was commissioned to do several public works projects, both paintings and sculptures. The most recent of which was commissioned by a grade school in Ängelholm, Sweden. Åkesson was asked to create a large painting in the setting of a dark forest. He chose to paint his interpretation of the familiar story, Sleeping Beauty. The primary subject of the painting is a young girl in a bright red dress, surrounded by a group of children who are staring off into the distance. The girl in the red dress is lying on a pink and orange quilt on an iron bed-frame. When the work was delivered, employees of the school felt that the painting was too ominous to hang in the cafeteria, its intended place. The painting, Sleeping Beauty, now hangs in the school's library.
The incident sparked nationwide interest and led to discussions surrounding censorship and challenges facing modern children.[17]
Åkesson's response to the school's decision was evidently rooted in curiosity. In an interview with The Swedish Television agency, he says, "I find the debate that has surfaced in response to the incident very interesting. It is rather eye-opening to witness the power of art in our society, that it can have such a strong effect on our emotions."[18]
In 2018, Kalmar Konstmuseum curated a retrospective exhibition of Åkesson’s work titled Sleeping Beauty, due, in part, to the school's reaction to the painting.
Exhibitions
2013
- The Woods,[19] Da-End Gallery, Paris
- Art Paris Art Fair, with DA-End Gallery, Grand Palais, Paris
- Cabinet Da-End 03, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
2014
- Cabinet Da-End 04, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
2015
- Rough Dreams, VIDA Museum, Sweden
- Dedications and Declarations, group exhibition, Cognacq-Jay Museum, Paris
- Under Realism, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
- Cabinet Da-End 05, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
2016
- ABOVE THE LINE/BELOW THE LINE, Francès Fondation, Clichy-La-Garonne, France
- YIA Art Fair, with Da-End Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
- The milk of human kindness, duo show with Lucy Glendinning, Da-End Gallery, Paris
- Cabinet Da-End 06, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
- 16th International Vilnius Painting Triennial, Vilnius, Lithuania
- “Vinterutställning” (Winter exhibition), VIDA Museum, Sweden
2017
- Cabinet Da-End 07, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
2018
- Let me sleep through the night,[20] Da-End Gallery, Paris
- Sleeping Beauty, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Kalmar, Sweden
- Markus Åkesson and art collection, Kalmar Kontmuseum, Kalmar, Sweden
- Insomnia, VIDA Museum, Sweden
- La Fabrique Du Regard, Francès Fondation, Senlis, France
- Cabinet Da-End 08, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
- Loup Y Es/Tu?, group exhibition, Maisons-Laffite, France
2019
- Cabinet Da-End 09, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
2020
- Strange Days,[21] Da-End Gallery, Paris
- Cabinet X, group exhibition, Da-End Gallery, Paris
2021
- Swedish Design Movement, Institut Suédois, Paris
- Skogens Hjärta, VIDA Museum, Sweden
References
- ^ Kalmar län, Konst. "Konst i Kalmar län". Konst i Kalmar län.
- ^ Ehk, Ellen. "Ellen Ehk". Ellen Ehk.
- ^ Åkesson, Markus. "Markus Åkesson CV". Markus Åkesson.
- ^ Lindström, Jonas. "Jonas Lindström". Jonas Lindström. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ Da-End, Galerie. "Galerie Da-End Website". Galerie Da-End.
- ^ Enström, Anders (17 May 2018). "Markus Åkesson om utställningen Insomnia". Barometern.
- ^ Åkesson, Markus. "Markus Åkesson CV". Markus Åkesson. Markus Åkesson. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ Konst, Emmaboda. "Emmaboda Konst". Emmaboda Konst.
- ^ ArtRootz. "In the world of Markus Åkesson". ArtRootz. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ Sandell, Joanna (6 June 2018). Insomnia. Kalmar, SE: Kalmar Konstmuseum & VIDA Museum & Konsthall.
- ^ Kamras. "Markus Åkesson". Galleri Kamras.
- ^ Ebert, Grace. "Ornate Fabrics Cloak Models in Disquieting Portraits by Artist Markus Åkesson". Colossal.
- ^ Prangé, Grégoire. "Strange Days" (PDF).
- ^ "Meet Swedish Artist Markus Åkesson, a Favorite Collaborator of Undercover's Jun Takahashi". Vogue. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- ^ "Undercover Fall 2021 Menswear Collection". Vogue. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- ^ BORRELLI-PERSSON, LAIRD. "Meet Swedish Artist Markus Åkesson, a Favorite Collaborator of Undercover's Jun Takahashi". Vogue. Vogue. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ Lappalianen, Kaisa. "Nybrokonstnärs tavla i blåsväder". Swedish Television. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- ^ Söderberg, Richard. "Han är konstnären som väckte protester". SVT. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ^ "Markus Åkesson - The Woods". Galerie Da-End (in French). Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ^ "Markus Åkesson - Let me sleep through the night". Galerie Da-End (in French). Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ^ "Markus Åkesson - Strange Days". Galerie Da-End (in French). Retrieved 2022-05-02.