Zelfportret c. 1974

This self-portrait by Philip Akkerman is made with what looks like pencil on paper. I can just imagine him, alone in his studio, staring at himself in the mirror trying to get a likeness but also, something more, something essential. You know, it’s interesting how much you can convey with simple hatching, those lines that build up the shadows on his face and neck. See how the marks cluster densely, creating depth and volume? There’s an urgency to the lines, a feeling that he's trying to capture something fleeting, something about his own being. And the open mouth! Is he shouting, or about to laugh? Akkerman is such a distinctive artist. He has spent decades making self-portraits, each one a variation on a theme. He reminds me of other artists who return to the same subject again and again. It's like they're having an ongoing conversation, each artwork a new response in a dialogue across time. And for us, looking, we get to eavesdrop on that conversation.