New York Academy Show 2024

German Tellez, René Grgic-Dakovic, Tslil Tsemet, Zachary Lank

16.03.24 - 13.04.24

As spring graces Copenhagen’s doorstep, Gallery Poulsen extends a warm invitation to experience the invigorating works of four rapidly emerging international talents and recent Master of Fine Art graduates from the esteemed New York Academy of Art (NYAA). Our NYAA graduate show stands as a cherished tradition, honoring a select group of burgeoning young artists from the blossoming figurative art scene of New York. This year, at Gallery Poulsen, the compelling artistic visions of German Tellez, René Grgic-Dakovic, Tslil Tsemet and Zachary Lank come alive, converging in a diverse array of introspective works that explore themes such as self-discovery and the complexities of human experience. The exhibition opening will take place on March 16th from 12:00 to 16:00 at Gallery Poulsen, Staldgade 32. Several of the artists will be making the journey across the Atlantic to be present at the exhibition opening.

In German Tellez’s body of work, we are met with an interconnected wheel of carefully choreographed limbs grasping at one another, suggesting a common universal language that embeds itself in the human form. His introspective work of intricate interpretations of bodily shapes sparks an emotional and primal experience. Tellez seeks to create a sacred encounter with the viewer, examining the fundamental order that underlies both the artistic and spiritual experience. In these thought-provoking works, Tellez employs recurring images of the human body and complex balanced forms to explore the purported innate qualities of humanity, delving into the relationship and tension that exists between topics such as pleasure and pain or the rational versus the instinctual. With his work, Tellez wishes to encourage viewers to contemplate the mysteries of human experience, the cosmos and our role within the universe.

Massive, ungainly figures, bound up in ropes fill the entirety of Zachary Lank’s canvas. These bundled up giants become icons of futility as they are unable to imagine a way out of their own predicament. Some of them we see through windows, reminiscent of cells, suggesting one prisoner looking at another. Lank terms this series of works that is influenced by Roman friezes, religious paintings of the Quattrocento as well as the work of 20th century painters like Philip Guston, Stanley Spencer and the Mexican muralists Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera, as his own “Titanomachy”. They are depictions telling a story of power and its limitations, thinking of the body as both a free subject and a prison. Lank highlights the dualities of strength and impotence, the longing for freedom versus the fear of one day getting it. Even if these Titans were to break free, they would be lost souls destined to wander the desert that surrounds them. In these works, we are prompted to explore ancient Theogony, how agencies come into being, and the recurring manifestation of the physical body as both a jailer and the jailed in a visual account of the world’s becoming.

Tslil Tsemet takes us along on an impactful journey of self-discovery in her whimsical, raw depictions that invite viewers to ponder the intricacies of identity, representation and empowerment. Whether it is Tsemet posing stoically in a snowglobe, or a dear friend of hers presenting herself unapologetically to the world, Tsemet’s works explore the challenges perpetuated by societal myths and the strength that lies in the reshaping of these narratives. Her distinctive works exhibit a double-edged sword, blending elements of humor and gravity. In a depiction of a two-headed figure yearning to be included, Tsemet presents viewers with a nuanced exploration of complex themes such as alienation, the desire for acceptance and navigating a life where there are pressures from society. Through her work, she encourages reflection on the quest for belonging, diversity and autonomy in an often divided world.

Inspired by artworks of the Italian Renaissance and the artist, Titian, Grgic-Dakovic uses a realistic visual approach to his figurative painting. For Grgic-Dakovic, painting serves as a form of meditation, powered by his intuition. A pair of meticulously worked boots present themselves before us in one of René Grgic-Dakovic’s works, alive in the sense that we can feel that they have been used. His ability to paint ideas that cannot be fully translated into words, draws upon aspects in his work that are of both an intellectual and spiritual nature. He reveals contemplative, emotional and captivating truths in subdued representations of subject matter, that at first glance, might appear seemingly mundane. The lingering and resonating atmosphere that emerges at the touch of Grgic-Dakovic’s brush, invites us to see beyond the superficial and experience more than what presents itself on the surface of the picture plane, in carefully calculated and felt-out artworks that move away from narrative thinking.

New York Academy Show 2024

German Tellez, René Grgic-Dakovic, Tslil Tsemet, Zachary Lank

16.03.24 – 13.04.24

Opening reception: Saturday, March 16th, 12.00 – 16.00

The exhibition presents 14 new paintings

Contact the gallery at [email protected] or tel.+ 45 33 33 93 96 for more info