Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen

Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen’s work draws upon a wealth of impressions from film, art, and theatre, all of which help illuminate the performative nature of life. His motifs seem either rooted in earlier artistic traditions or inspired by European literary fairy tales, evoking memories we thought we had forgotten. It feels as though Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen wishes to tell us a story, yet he deliberately leaves the beginning and the end untold. Instead, he presents us with an open interpretation, inviting us to use our own imagination by encouraging us to build our own narratives around his figurations.

Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen often assembles a single figure from multiple parts or components. The character's various body parts frequently take on a life of their own, defying the rules of common sense. For the artist, this represents a way to break away from the canons of figurative representation in an attempt to 'escape' into abstraction. Relinquishing control over his characters is a way for Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen to keep surprising himself, thereby keeping his work surprising for his audience.

In his print series Ride On! (Rid Videre!), some of the characters are reminiscent of what would historically be considered high-ranking figures. However, Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen does not strive to convey dynastic continuity or power. Instead, he portrays these pretentious, costumed cavaliers in a manner that renders them foolish and embarrassing. He creates a world where one can both dream and laugh, glorifying the ridiculous and favoring the universe of fantasy over the realities of the 21st century. In fact, his motifs only truly gain meaning in a universe where they appear irrelevant and obsolete. Kaspar Oppen Samuelsen's artistic play with fantasy is an invitation to see not only the tragic, but also the comic aspects of life.