Martin Jacobson - Portraits & Silhouettes: Stockholm

Andréhn-Schiptjenko is pleased to present Martin Jacobson’s solo exhibition Portraits & Silhouettes, opening on Thursday January 9 at 17:00–20:00.

 

Dreams, myths and archetypal imagery converge in Martin Jacobson's paintings, serving as portals to shared human consciousness and experiences unbound by time. Drawing from these collective symbols, Jacobson creates an associative stream that reflects on how we perceive ourselves in relation to the world, offering introspective explorations of the human experience.

 

Jacobson’s creative process is a journey into the unknown, a dialogue between him and the painting that unfolds with unpredictable discoveries—part memory, part dream. Characters and landscapes materialize as if they have always existed, waiting to be uncovered. He describes his approach not as creating, but as finding: the image revealing itself from behind a curtain of whimsical coincidences. The resulting works invite the gaze to wander, explore or simply rest, evoking moments of recognition and wonder without the need for explanation.

 

His paintings begin with a deep dive into the visual detritus of bygone eras, in the form of his extensive archive of digital and physical images charged with collective memories and associations. Archetypal motifs such as sunsets, forests, mythological figures and architectural forms are reinterpreted into collages that serve as models for his paintings. In Jacobson’s latest exhibition, Portraits & Silhouettes, these recombined fragments become vivid compositions embodying figures like Buffalo Bill, d’Artagnan or Hera, alongside silhouettes of birds, horses, cats, flowers and butterflies. Drawing inspiration from early 20th-century postcards and illustrated theatre magazines, he re-imagines these sources as “souvenirs from the underworld” or “postcards from a dream,” capturing frozen moments from warm places where the tangible and the ephemeral blur seamlessly.

 

Using a stark and unreal palette, Jacobson creates imagery that feels simultaneously old and new, familiar yet strange—what Freud might call heimlich and unheimlich. His bold use of colour transcends stylistic boundaries, drawing inspiration from artistic traditions spanning the 18th century to the present. These scenographic compositions blend light, colour and cultural references to evoke emotional resonance, with saturated hues crackling with energy and engaging the senses. On this imaginative stage, where fiction and reality converge, the dual nature of beauty—both seductive and unsettling—is fully realized. The interplay between subject and colour invites viewers into a transcendental escape, opening pathways to personal journeys of imagination, memory and discovery.

 

Many of Jacobson’s works feature human and animal figures deliberately painted over, leaving only silhouettes. This act of erasure, emphasizing absence over presence, transforms subjects into archetypes—vessels for collective memories, fears and desires. For Jacobson, these images are not depictions of individuals but symbols onto which myths and cultural consciousness are projected.

 

Martin Jacobson (b. 1978, Sweden) graduated from Malmö Art Academy in 2005 and has since participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Scandinavia and internationally. Recent highlights include a major solo exhibition at Varbergs Konsthall (Varberg, Sweden) and a monumental set design featuring large-scale paintings originally created for a stage production, later exhibited at Wanås Konst (Knislinge, Sweden). Another significant solo exhibition was held at Vandalorum (Värnamo, Sweden). Jacobson’s work has also been featured in Excursions at the Nordic Watercolour Museum (Skärhamn, Sweden), The Traveller’s Guide to the Other Side at La Conservera (Murcia, Spain) and The Collectors, curated by Elmgreen & Dragset for the Danish Pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale.