Taylor Schultek Invitational 2025

Featuring Sebas Velasco (ES), Zachary Lank (US), Michael Ahlefeldt (DK), & Taylor Schultek (US)

18.01.25 - 15.02.25

Opening reception: Saturday, January 18th, 12.00 - 16.00

In collaboration with Gallery Poulsen, American artist Taylor Schultek has invited a select group of international artists to participate in the first group exhibition of the year at Gallery Poulsen: Taylor Schultek International 2025. The exhibition aims to showcase artists who work with light in innovative and contemporary ways. Gallery Poulsen’s roster includes artists who are deeply engaged with form and narrative in their works, and through this exhibition, Schultek seeks to introduce a new, essential element to their expression:

Capturing and wielding convincing light is a highly prized skill among artists and audiences, and the artists in this show are undoubtedly masters of it.”

-Taylor Schultek

The exhibition’s subtitle, “Light Work,” refers both to a movement within contemporary art where light is used as a material to create installations, and to a phrase meaning doing something without unnecessary effort. The subtitle serves as an ironic and humorous addition to the exhibition’s narrative, as the exceptional work of the selected artists makes the manipulation of illusionary light seem effortless. At the same time, the exhibition includes works in which light is the primary medium.

Throughout art history, artists have often employed fundamental approaches such as form or light in their works – approaches that frequently evolve in parallel and create dynamic visual dialogues about artistic expression.

A classic example is the two Italian Renaissance schools: Florentine Disegne and Venetian Colore. Disegne focused on precisely crafted sculptural form, narrative and symbolism, while Colore was concerned with the effects of light – its ability to communicate emotions, create atmospheric effects, and convey naturalistic colors. This dichotomy appears throughout many art historical movements. In contemporary art, light is used in countless ways, allowing artists to establish a unique relationship with it. The four artists in this exhibition use light in different ways and for various purposes.

Sebas Velasco (b. 1988) is a Spanish artist who explores the urban landscape, human relationships, and culture through expressive oil paintings and large public murals. His work displays a keen sensitivity to light and space, where he excels at documenting the dynamics of contemporary life and the underlying stories that inform his visual investigations. With saturated colors and staged lighting, Sebas imbues his works with a unique spatial quality that engages the viewer in a physical experience of the painting process.

Zachary Lank (b. 1989) is an American painter who uses light in his works to convey a sense of time and place. His landscapes and stil lifes reference the scenery of his childhood, and he employs a personal mythology to construct his images. Lank’s paintings feature saturated colors and deep spaces, that draw on the aesthetic traditions from the northeastern United States, where many painters have historically been captivated by the effect of light on the landscape.

Michael Ahlefeldt (b. 1965) is a Danish artist who takes a literary aprroach to working with light, using it as his primary medium. Ahlefeldt engages with the modernist discourse of light-based works, while also connecting this to the tradition of figurative drawing through gestures and actions. His works interact with their surroundings by altering the physical space through the light they emit.

Taylor Schultek (b. 1990) is an American artist who lives and works in New York. In this exhibition, we see how Schultek incorporates light as a design element. He uses light to create a sense of mystique, establish atmosphere, and guide the viewer through the compositions of his works. Schultek is known for his use of light with high chromatic intensity and unconventional colors, which imbue his works with a sense of curiosity and human presence.

Join us for the first group exhibition of the year at Gallery Poulsen, where the space will be transformed by the magic of light from these four artists. Their individual expressions and the ability of their works to engage in a visual dialogue create a unique and dynamic art experience.