Danja Akulin (Даня Акулин) (born 1977) rose to prominence by creating large format pencil drawings that reinstate this genre's autonomous value. Born and raised in Leningrad ( St.Petersburg),

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, lives and works in

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. Attended bachelor and master studies in Fine Arts, at the

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research universit ...

(UdK) and studied under the supervision of

Georg Baselitz Georg Baselitz (born 23 January 1938) is a German Painting, painter, Sculpture, sculptor and Graphic arts, graphic artist. In the 1960s he became well known for his Figurative art, figurative, expressive paintings. In 1969 he began painting his s ...

and Daniel Richter. Georg Baselitz says of the artist "''Danja Akulin creates conceptual drawings, which he calls 'aesthetically minimalist'. Since they come from St. Petersburg, they look different from equally conceptual art by Californian artist

Ed Ruscha Edward Joseph Ruscha IV (, ''roo-SHAY''; born December 16, 1937) is an American artist associated with the pop art movement. He has worked in the media of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography and film. He is also noted for creating several ...

, for example. After looking at his pictures, it is particularly exciting to see with your own eyes how many watts are used to light a stairwell in St. Petersburg. This is what good drawings look like''." For most of his works, Danja Akulin relies on materials such as graphite, charcoal and pencil. When it comes to his large-sized canvas works, he varies the thickness and fineness of the lines to create a fusion and dissolution of contours. In the same way most painters relate to colors, Akulin uses the texture of his drawings as his artistic means of expression. File: Untitled by Danja Akulin 1.jpg, Untitled, 2012, charcoal on canvas, 150 x 200 cm File: Untitled, 2020, pencil and graphite on paper laid down on canvas, 80x140.jpg, Untitled, 2020, pencil and graphite on paper laid down on canvas, 80 x 140 File: Untitled by Danja Akulin 5.jpg, Untitled, 2016, graphite/pencil on paper laid down on canvas, 142 x 115 cm each Akulin was awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Scholarship. Art Council of the German Bundestag chaired by the President of the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the German Federalism, federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representat ...

made a decision to include Akulin’s artwork to The Bundestag's art collection. " Danja Akulin is also noted for creating several artist's books. Between 2007 and 2022 he produced artist's books: * “Penumbra”. Charcoal and graphite drawings from 2010-2022. Munich, Gallery and publishing house J.J. Heckenhauer, 2022 * “Penumbra”. London, Erarta Galleries, 2012 * “Signs”. Moscow, Triumph Gallery, 2007 * “Survival craft”. Moscow, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, 2007

Work

Penumbra

The word penumbra is often rendered "half-light." The Latin origin ''paene umbra'' literally means ''almost shadow''. In between the shadow and the light there is a zone through which we may see what is in the penumbra, but we see it with this darkened hue, and it is problematic to say whether it is illuminated or not. In "Penumbra" series the light is radiated on to what is but a partially illuminated landscape. Through this light, emotions and thoughts within the duality of darkness and brightness are visually translated. The truth exists in the "in-between" area, the penumbra. Identity by Danja Akulin

Signs

The "Signs" series fuse painstaking external drawing with profound internal drawing. The sign—segno di Dio, the heart and sense of drawing—is the hieroglyph that unlocks all the secrets, sacred and profane. As any time-honored symbol, that same Renaissance disegno which is “the source and soul of all species of painting and the root of any science,” the tokens of the contemporary age depicted in these works are full of worth and weight. Electronic read-outs, various kinds of official emblems, elements of urban and domestic graphic design. In their original state, they are reduced and de-emotionalized, but here life, ritualistically, is breathed into exhausted, prefab forms. T by Danja Akulin

Simple Things

In "Simple Things" series the focus of attention is on the graphic structure of objects, transposing them to the planning stage, to the sketching stage, and presupposes meditation by the observers. Behind extensive line movements of the pencil, behind concentrations and dilutions of light and shade – associations, sometimes free, sometimes programmed, are revealed layer by layer. The works in these series intend, albeit only to a certain extent, to liberate symbols from their binding meaning, to make them part of the history of drawing.

Exhibitions

Since 2002 his works were exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout Europe and the USA, including the German

(Germany), Bröhan Museum Berlin (Germany), Poll Gallery Berlin (Germany),

Mimi Ferzt Gallery Mimi Ferzt was a contemporary art space in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City. It exhibited Eastern European artists such as Mihail Chemiakin Mihail Mikhailovich Chemiakin (or Shemyakin, russian: Михаил Михайлович Шемякин, ...

NYC (USA), Erarta Gallery London (UK) and Fano Art Museum (Denmark). Akulin’ art is also on display in Russia. Among others, his works are exhibited at the Triumph Gallery, the Moscow Center of Art, St. Petersburg Rizzordi Art Foundation and Perm Biennial of Graphic Art. File: Self Portrait by Danja Akulin.jpg, Self-Portrait, 2005, mixed media on paper laid down on canvas, 100 × 100 cm File:Untitled by Danja Akulin 3.jpg, Untitled, 2010, charcoal on canvas, 145 x 145 cm File:Untitled by Danja Akulin 4.jpg, Untitled, 2015, graphite/pencil on paper laid down on canvas, 61 x 85 cm File:Untitled by Danja Akulin 2.jpg, Untitled, 2015 graphite/pencil on paper laid down on canvas, 95 x 200 cm

Solo exhibitions

* 2023, “Kontrastreich”, Poll Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2023, “Lightscapes”, In-Gate Gallery, Brussels, Belgium * 2023, “In Darkness Let Me Dwell”, Bark Berlin Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2022, “Between the Lines”, In-Gate Gallery, Brussels, Belgium * 2022, “Between the Lines”, Artbrige Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2021, “Penumbra”, new works, J.J. Heckenhauer Gallery, Munich, Germany * 2020, “Rock hard sea”, Bark Berlin Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2020, Art on Paper, with Elipsis Art, New York, NY, USA * 2019, “Penumbra”, Erarta Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia * 2018, Art on Paper, Contemporary Drawing Fair, Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer, Brussels, Belgium * 2018, Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer, Munich, Germany * 2014, Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer, Munich, Germany * 2014, “Landscapes”, Poll Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2013, art KARLSRUHE, One-Artist-Show, Poll Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2013, “Charcoal on Canvas”, Mimi Ferzt Gallery, New York, USA * 2012, “Crepusculum”, TS Art Projects, Berlin, Germany * 2012, "Penumbra", Erarta Gallery, London, UK (catalog) * 2011, “Landscapes”, Gallery J.J. Heckenhauer, Brussels, Belgium * 2010, “V.I.P.R.I.P.”, Michael Schultz Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2008, Mimi Fertz Gallery, New York, USA * 2007, “Signs”, Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia (catalog) * 2007, “Survival Craft”, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, Russia (catalog) * 2004 Gallery "Borkowski", Hannover, Germany (catalog) * 2002 Gallery "Bellevue", Berlin, Germany

Group exhibitions

* 2023, “The end of painting”, Bröhan Museum, Berlin Germany * 2022, “Salon Nr. 4”, Christine Knauber Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2020, 50/50: The Matter of Duality, Paul-Fleischmann-Haus, Berlin, Germany * 2019, “Preparing for Darkness vol. 4: True Romance”, Kühlhaus, Berlin, Germany * 2019, "erinnern-treümen-zeichnen", Poll Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2018, "A Sign of Nature", W Gallery, Osnabrück, Germany * 2018, Kunst und Filmbiennale Worpswede 2018, Worpswede, Germany * 2018, “Shadow”, Thielbeer.Art & Holger Kuhn Fine Arts, Berlin, Germany * 2018, “Preparing for Darkness”, Kühlhaus, Berlin, Germany * 2018, “Salon Nr. 2”, Christine Knauber Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2017, Salon der Gegenwart, Hamburg, Germany (catalog) * 2017, “This is The Sea”, Fanø Kunstmuseum, Denmark (catalog) * 2016, “Salon No. 1”, Galerie Christine Knauber, Berlin, Germany * 2016, “Under Cover”, Artdocks Gallery, Bremen, Germany * 2015, “Playing Pool With a Rope“, Metropol Park, Berlin, Germany * 2015, “Neu Gold“, Dortmunder U, Dortmund, Germany * 2014, “Strictness and Beauty”, Ural Vision Gallery, Yekaterinburg, Russia * 2014, 6. Biennale der Zeichnung, Kunstverein Eislingen, Germany * 2012, “Auf der ewigen Reise”, E.ON AG, Düsseldorf, Germany (catalog) * 2012, “With Pencil and Crayon”, Poll Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2011, “(Moving) Identities”, Gallery JJ Heckenhauer, Tübingen, Germany * 2011, “Monte Verità”, Kunstverein Familie Montez, Frankfurt a. M. / Germany * 2011, “Expression Beyond”, Rizzordi Art Foundation, St. Petersburg, Russia * 2010, Boomerang, Perm Biennial of Graphic Arts, Perm Museum of Contemporary Art, Russia * 2010, ART.FAIR 21, MESSE FÜR AKTUELLE KUNST, Michael Schultz Gallery, Köln, Germany * 2010, Munich Contempo, Michael Schultz Gallery, Munich, Germany * 2010, Art Paris, Michael Schultz Gallery, Paris, France * 2009, Mimi Fertz Gallery, New York, USA * 2007, Sputnik. New Painting from Berlin, Gallery Claudius, Hamburg, Germany * 2005, Nord Art 2005, Rendsburg, Germany * 2005, Art Frankfurt, Subjective Obsessions, special show of the Gallery Michael Schultz, Frankfurt, Germany (catalog) * 2004, KPM - Offenhallen, Berlin * 2004, “Identity in the Digital Era”, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (catalog) * 2004, Kunstverein, Uelzen, Germany * 2004, Gallery Apex, Göttingen, Germany * 2003, Horst-Janssen-Museum, Oldenburg, Germany (catalog) * 2003, Gallery Annelie Grimm-Beickert, Bamberg, Germany * 2003, Gallery Helmut Leger, Munich, Germany * 2003, “Insights”, The Baselitz Class, Gallere Michael Schultz, Berlin, Germany (catalog) * 2002, Art Summer 2002. Kunstverein, Oberhausen, Germany

References

External links and reviews

*Official website: http://www.danjaakulin.com *In-Gate Gallery. Danja Akulin: https://ingategallery.com/artists/31-danja-akulin/works/ *Artist on Singulart.com: https://www.singulart.com/en/artist/danja-akulin-704 *Poll Gallery. Danja Akulin: https://poll-berlin.de/galerie/en/gallery-artists/danja-akulin/ *Artist on Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/artist/danja-akulin *The End of painting. Bröhan Museum: https://www.broehan-museum.de/en/exhibition/the-end-of-painting-karl-hagemeister-and-painting-today/ *Danja Akulin. About the artist: https://www.galleristic.com/en/buy-art/danja-akulin *''Focus on the painter Danja Akulin''. Interview with Danja Akulin: https://www.singulart.com/en/blog/2018/03/09/focus-on-the-painter-danja-akulin/ *''Penumbra''.Review by Diego Giolitti: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/diego-giolitti/penumbra_b_1529701.html *''"The Magic of The Horizon"'': http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/landschaftskunst-danja-akulin-und-lucas-arruda-die-magie-des-horizonts/11181282.html *''"Nature In Light"'': https://muenchenphoto.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/natur-im-licht/ *''"Who Needs Color"'': http://www.artparasites.com/who-needs-color/ *''Danja Akulin: "Penumbra" at Erarta Gallery'', review by Theodora Clarke: http://www.russianartandculture.com/review-danja-akulin-penumbra-at-erarta-gallery-by-theodora-clarke/ *''"Picture Preview. Danja Akulin's 'Penumbra'"'': https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/picture-preview-danja-akulins-penumbra-7851047.html *''"Penumbra: A new Exhibition by Danja Akulin Opens at Erarta Galleries London"'': http://artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=56003&b=basel#.V_-Z_ty1zW4 *''"Darkening - 1 (Shadow and Light)"'': http://www.verbunkos.org/2012/12/darkening-1-shadow-and-light.html *''In Darkness Let Me Dwell'': https://www.artatberlin.com/en/d-akulin-m-piech-i-in-darkness-let-me-dwell-i-bark-berlin-gallery-i-20-01-09-02-2023/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Akulin, Danja 1977 births Living people Russian male artists 20th-century German painters 20th-century German male artists German male painters 21st-century German painters 21st-century German male artists German contemporary artists