Zelfportret 2005 nr. 138 2005

Philip Akkerman made this self-portrait in 2005 using pencil on paper. Akkerman has been creating portraits of himself for years, each one unique but all sharing a common thread of self-exploration. I can imagine him sitting alone in his studio, day after day, looking intently at his own face in a mirror and then drawing. And drawing, and drawing. He is searching, not for beauty, but for truth. The pencil marks are dense and swirling, creating a sense of movement and energy. The lines create this face, full of character and complexity. It's almost as if he's trying to capture not just his physical appearance, but also his inner thoughts and feelings. You see other artists doing the same thing. Rembrandt made dozens of self-portraits over his lifetime, each one showing him at a different stage of life. I like to think of Akkerman’s self-portraits as part of this ongoing conversation among artists, each one building on the work of those who came before.