Details:
① Artwork:
Little Dream
In this painting, the artist combines exterior and interior worlds. The work depicts a sleeping female figure in the lower area of the composition, her head upon a pillow. The artist's use of oil paint on polyester evokes a magical dreamscape of blues, greens and grays. Above her head, the woman imagines a deer, a cat and a dog striding in front of a vibrant green lizard. By depicting domesticated animals alongside more exotic and wild creatures, this artist creates a calm but uncanny scene that combines the conscious and unconscious energies that individuals carry with them.
Ajerman's intimate and expressive paintings depict both real and fictional subjects in still life and fantasy vignettes—frequently quiet moments of domesticity. Luscious and unexpected, the artist's gestural style is focused on color and brushwork.
Specs:
③ Artist:
Michael Ajerman’s oil paintings depict private moments of quiet domesticity. The artist’s still life and figurative fantasy vignettes employ a gestural style focused on color and brushwork. Frequently populated by subjects real and fictional, Ajerman’s paintings are both intimate and expressive, luscious and unexpected.
BIO:
Michael Ajerman was born in the United States in 1977. The artist received an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art in London, UK (2003).
Solo exhibitions of Ajerman’s work have taken place at: Aleph Contemporary in London, UK (2020); Diane Rosenstein Gallery in Los Angeles, California (2019, 2020); HemingwayArt in Oxford, UK (2017); Transition Gallery in London, UK (2010, 2013); Galleria Ghetta in Ortisei, Italy (2012); Marco Rossi Arte Contemporanea in Milan, Italy (2012); Eventi Nove in Borgomanero, Italy (2012); Toomey-Tourell Gallery in San Francisco, California (2010); Eventi Nove Arte Contemporanea in Torino, Italy (2010); Marco Rossi Arte Contemporanea in Verona, Italy (2010); Jerwood Project Space in London, UK (2009); Rothschild Fine Art in Tel Aviv, Israel (2009); Bridge Art Fair in London, UK (2007); Bischoff/Weiss in London, UK (2005, 2007); and AR Contemporary in Milan, Italy (2006).
Group exhibitions that have shown Ajerman’s work include: Royal Academy Summer Show at the Royal Academy in London, UK (2019); Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize at Piano & Noble in London, UK (2019); Evening Standard Art Prize at the National Gallery in London, UK (2018); Contemporary British Painting Prize at the Richmond Museum in London, UK (2017); Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize at Piano & Noble in London, UK (2017); In This Soup We Swim at Kingsgate Workshops in London, UK (2016); The Names at Transition Gallery in London, UK (2016); Contemporary Drawing from Britain at Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts in Xi’An, China (2015); East End Painting Prize at The Rum Factory in London, UK (2015); Bad For You at Shizaru Gallery in London, UK (2012); Royal Academy Summer Exhibition at Royal Academy in London, UK (2012); thecentre: mk Painting Exhibition at FRINGEMK in Milton Keynes, UK (2009); Kunskog at 500 Dollars in London, UK (2009); Threadneedle Painting Prize 2009 in London, UK (2009); East Wing Collection 8 at Courtauld Galleries in London, UK (2009); The Painting Room at Transition Gallery in London, UK (2009); Bomberg’s Relevance at Ben Uri Gallery in London, UK (2007); Repetition and Sequence at Jerwood Space in London, UK (2007); Creekside Open x2 at A.P.T in London, UK (2007); and The Relaxed Audience or Why Are We So Close at Jeffrey Charles Gallery in London, UK (2004).
Ajerman received the UCLA Kitaj Research Fellowship in 2018.
Ajerman lives and works in London, UK.
