Christian Marx Galerie

At VOLTA Basel 2021, Christian Marx Galerie curates a booth of strong emerging contemporary positions on portraiture in painting, drawing and object.

The representation of the human figure is one of the oldest motifs of painting and sculpture. Over the millennia, but especially during the past centuries, the portrait has undergone significant changes. Since a long time it is not only the task of the portrait to depict the external face of a person, but also to make the inner being visible. And there is this constant conflict with the human desire for exaggeration and idealization.

Also in the field of portrait is and was constantly experimentation to contemporary interpret new aesthetic experiences. Art will never stop dealing with the image of human beings because it is the first and next moment of himself.

Tim Okamura investigates identity, the urban environment, metaphor, and cultural iconography through a unique method of painting – one that combines an essentially ‘realist’ approach to the figure with collage, spray paint and mixed media.

In his series „optical portrait“ Maxim Wakultschik combines monochrome colored toothpicks, such as the pixels of a photograph, into a portrait. This creates objects between sculpture and painting, between the classical portraiture and the modern digital age.

Ole Aakjær is internationally recognized for his signature figurative paintings of women painted with great psychological empathy, unique colors and highly symbolic and storytelling tattoos. The portraits explore the complexity and strength of women – always vulnerable however empowered, sensual, fearless, alluring and untamed. His large scale watercolours and techniques are unparalleled.

The “sphere” series by Martin C. Herbst, faces painted on stainless steel spheres, is inspired by a masterpiece of the Italian Mannerism – Parmigianinos ‘Self-Portrait In A Convex Mirror’. While one half is painted with a portrait, the second mirrored side stages the surrounding space.