Aske Hvitved

In Aske Hvited's paintings, there is a constant exploration of staging different layers of traditions. Various representations of materials coexist alongside actual matter. A humorous undertone is combined with existential reflections on the human condition. For example, cartoon and animation representational techniques are employed, where the presence of bones can evoke death, or a voluminous hand offering a bag can introduce a three-dimensional element to the canvas. However, these artistic devices do not limit the paintings to a specific theme. Instead, they intersect with multiple references, including older Flemish painting traditions, as well as address material concerns such as the use of chipboard with fragments of laminate floor.

The same intricate network of materials can be observed in the works presented for this graduation show. A statue of a plucked chicken mounted on a robot vacuum cleaner that moves around the art space exemplifies this complexity. These gestures serve as a reminder of the performative nature of painting—a performance that extends beyond the physical gesture and is synchronized with the painter's thoughts. It raises the question for the viewer: How does one think while immersed in the act of seeing a painting? And how can conventions regarding this thinking be interrupted by the experience itself?