Camilla Akraka has in a series of paintings Pasaportes used the portrait as a sort of shadow boxing with heritage and identification, but also as an elusive screen of prejudice and strategy. They originate from an accepted disguise, whereby parody with shoe polished faces never completely leaves our imagination. The images are constructions of known and less familiar characters to be found in various parts of the world and in different times. In Pasaportes Akraka evokes, embodies and occupies these images.
Akraka writes:
I know him a little, perhaps even enough. An African man. Black with pink palms. My father. I did walk with him on a beach once. An African beach. In his country. That’s 20 years ago. There were miles and miles of sand, and miles and miles of palm trees. He said: “They were planted by the colonial masters.” To him these words were obvious in meaning. To me it meant something else. I sensed something obscure. Diffuse and changing. Something travelling. Through years and continents.
A heritage.
Camilla Akraka, born 1968 in Sweden graduated from the Royal College of Art, Stockholm in 2001. She works with various materials such as painting, sculpture, performance and animation. In 2000, in collaboration with Kristina Matousch, she made an acclaimed performance/ installation Factum at Mejan gallery exhibiting body parts of living people. In 2002 her short film Fatima was screened in Annecy, France and at the Gothenburg Film festival.
Pasaportes is Akraka’s third solo exhibition with Angelika Knäpper Gallery. In 2004 she presented paintings in Mrs Dell’s suite and an animated short film Zeth, made in collaboration with Niclas Malmström. Bush meat, 2006 showed both paintings and sculpture.
Akraka writes:
I know him a little, perhaps even enough. An African man. Black with pink palms. My father. I did walk with him on a beach once. An African beach. In his country. That’s 20 years ago. There were miles and miles of sand, and miles and miles of palm trees. He said: “They were planted by the colonial masters.” To him these words were obvious in meaning. To me it meant something else. I sensed something obscure. Diffuse and changing. Something travelling. Through years and continents.
A heritage.
Camilla Akraka, born 1968 in Sweden graduated from the Royal College of Art, Stockholm in 2001. She works with various materials such as painting, sculpture, performance and animation. In 2000, in collaboration with Kristina Matousch, she made an acclaimed performance/ installation Factum at Mejan gallery exhibiting body parts of living people. In 2002 her short film Fatima was screened in Annecy, France and at the Gothenburg Film festival.
Pasaportes is Akraka’s third solo exhibition with Angelika Knäpper Gallery. In 2004 she presented paintings in Mrs Dell’s suite and an animated short film Zeth, made in collaboration with Niclas Malmström. Bush meat, 2006 showed both paintings and sculpture.