Zelfportret 2014 nr. 122 2014

Editor: We're looking at Philip Akkerman's "Zelfportret 2014 nr. 122," a pencil drawing from 2014. It feels very introspective, almost like an anatomical study, but also quite surreal. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the fragmentation. We have this constant construction and reconstruction of the self through fragmented signs. Do you think that reflects a certain cultural anxiety about identity? The overlapping of facial features... where does one begin and another end? Editor: I think so! It's like the self is being constantly revised. It's not a single, stable image, more a collection of impressions and maybe some are memories that come into focus then fade away, too. Curator: Exactly! Akkerman presents the self as a layered experience, like an archeological dig through his own psyche. Notice the recurring circular motifs. What could those circles symbolize to you? Editor: Maybe cycles of self-perception, like looking in a mirror repeatedly and seeing something slightly different each time? Curator: Interesting. Perhaps cycles, maybe also, certain obsessions. Think about how many faces Akkerman has created, almost always his own. Isn't the impulse to recreate, redraw a very human compulsion when faced with things we cannot fully process or come to terms with? Editor: That's a good point. It’s a very human act, and the constant re-working here is so profound. It really lingers in the mind after viewing this piece! Curator: I agree. It's a reminder that identity is not fixed, but is rather something that we endlessly perform and reconsider throughout our lives, embedded with coded cultural meaning!