The painting of Crispin Akerman invites our re-engagement with an ancient genre. Still-life reflects an appreciation of the profound mystery contained in the objects with which we surround ourselves. Such work highlights the condition of the everyday, whose familiarity often obscures its role as an expression of the wonder and beauty of material being. Making use of stylistic characteristics evocative of the Dutch Masters of the seventeenth century, Akerman invites the viewer to take a fresh look at what this meditative approach might offer today. An inner tension renders the works too unsettling to be purely decorative. The artist's considered approach to the elements of shape, form and colour inspires contemplation of the intimacy and sensuality of his subject.
Read MoreAkerman attended the Julian Ashton School in Sydney before completing his Bachelor of Arts at the Canberra Institute of Arts in 1992, where he also worked as an assistant to painters Mandy Martin and Robert Boynes. Previously a member of the popular 1980s music group The Eurogliders, he now works full-time as an artist, exhibiting widely in Australia.
His works are included in the Parliament House collection in Canberra, Artbank, and numerous other public and private collections.