November 18 – December 12, 2021
Press Release Selected Works Artists Ole Aakjer | Alter Ego - The Other Me November 18 – December 12, 2021 NEW YORK _ Chase Contemporary is delighted to announce the grand opening of its new 5000 square foot Manhattan gallery space in SoHo with a solo show of large-scale watercolor and mixed media linoleum works by Danish artist Ole Aakjær. The opening event will be held on Thursday, November 18th from 5-8pm at 413-415 West Broadway. Copenhagen-based Aakjær takes on SoHo on the heels of his first solo museum show at the Vejle Kunstmuseum in Jutland, Denmark. Showcasing some 50 intricate works by Aakjær underscores a commitment to promoting living artists who are becoming increasingly celebrated throughout the world. Aakjaer, who has a background in advertising, meticulously layers his distinctive portraits that celebrate the power of women with cultural and literary references. Ornate ink work comes into play with tattoos often sprawled across the face, neck, shoulders, and upper body. Text and characters, inspired by music, literature, poetry, film, religion, psychology, and cartoons are painstakingly applied with ink and watercolor. His distinct figurative paintings rely on bold colors and symbols to convey deep psychological empathy. For instance, The Whale Song reveals Aakjaer's use of a "halo" motif, incorporating the allegory of the mandala- a circular configuration of symbols that allude to a spiritual journey. Mandalas can refer to a belief in finding peace in the symmetry and design of the universe. By appropriating postures and techniques from the history of portraiture and poses from fashion photography, advertising posters and billboards, and by incorporating elements such as celebrated decorative motifs, funereal memento mori, and tattooed insignia, Aakjaer intensifies the uncanny, the mysterious, and the suggestive object of desire. Symbolic screens across the figures' faces, necks, and torsos make them available for interpretation as templates for psychic and emotional projection. His portraits echo the highly charged images found both in fashion photography and poster art, specifically from international magazine covers such as