When the exhibition Uumasut akornanni (Among Animals) with Lisa Kreutzmann opens on the 16th of February at Nuuk Art Museum, it will be Kreutzmann’s first solo exhibition in Nuuk.
Kreutzmann’s acrylic paintings are known for being light and playful, but with an amazing level of detail and an underlying story. They are teasing and subtle, but often with a serious and puzzling twist. Kreutzmann often uses local references in conjunction with something global. This is the case, for example, when the bird tuullik / arctic loon merges with a Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur. A T-rex that Kreutzmann herself calls her kammannguara / my little friend. In Kreutzmann’s works, you see the play between the local and the national, the interaction between an interest in the world and a pure, honest and immediate connection to her surroundings.
The works also feature strong women from Kreutzmann’s local community; women wearing Batman masks and women with references to the struggle of indigenous women in Canada. One senses a desire for knowledge and a deep curiosity about the local and the world in general.
Lisa Kreutzmann says in the book Kimik Ukiut 20:
“I draw inspiration from nature, beaches, animals and myths, old photos and many other places. I’m interested in myths and how people and animals behave and look in them [myths]. I like to use the older form of drawing and painting. In the last couple of years I’ve been mixing this with a newer form.”
And she continues:
“Every line has a meaning. Art is an immense joy for me and it makes my heart beat a little faster. When I paint, it’s important that the work moves me and that it brings joy to others. Other people’s artworks give me joy, and I want to give that joy back.”
About Lisa Kreutzmann: Lisa Kreutzmann was born in Kangaatsiaq in 1981 where she still lives. In 2000 and again in 2005 she was a student at the Greenland Art School, and subsequently attended art college in Denmark and participated in The Drawing Academy at The Animation Workshop in Denmark in 2009. She has been part of the Greenlandic artists’ organisation KIMIK for almost 15 years. Her works are known from the association’s exhibitions, but also from stamps and decorations – especially in and around Ilulissat.
Lisa Kreutzmann’s imaginative universe has a fantastic appeal to both adults and children, and we look forward to opening her universe to many more people during 2024.
The exhibition has been made possible with support from Sermeq Puljen, KNI A/S and Kunstfonden, and can be seen until 12 May.