Marcel Döhne 2019

Gazmend Freitag made this portrait of Marcel Döhne using graphite on paper in 2019. It’s fascinating to think about the artist, Gazmend, holding the pencil, feeling the texture of the paper, and making marks that slowly bring Marcel into being. I’m imagining Gazmend’s process here – starting with a faint outline, then building up the shadows to give the face volume and depth. Look at the way he’s used short, quick strokes to suggest the texture of the hair, contrasting with the smoother shading on the face. Each stroke is a decision, a little act of translation, as Gazmend tries to capture something of Marcel’s essence. It’s not just about replicating what he sees but feeling something about the person he’s drawing, which gets translated to the page via pressure and speed. You know, drawing is a bit like talking - a constant back and forth between seeing, feeling, and doing. And each artist has their own way of speaking. Drawing is a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing multiple interpretations.