Søren Solkær: streetwise, colorful & iconic

Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht presents the exhibition of Danish photographer Søren Solkær from March 19 to September 25. With SURFACE, the museum shows more than sixty portraits of international street artists alongside their colorful works of art in public spaces: from graffiti pioneers and emerging talent to the most influential artists in the street art scene.

Museum of Photography at the Vrijthof Maastricht presents the exhibition of the Danish photographer Søren Solkær from March 19 to September 25. Iconic pop musicians such as Adele, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Pharrell Williams and U2 have previously stood in front of his lens. With SURFACE, the museum shows more than sixty portraits of international street artists alongside their colorful works of art in public spaces; from graffiti pioneers and emerging talent to the most influential artists in the street art scene. Online editor: Mical Joseph
Image: Søren Solkær

Street style

Søren Solkær portrayed Dutch street artists such as DOES, Laser 3.14 and Niels Shoe Meulman. Foreign artists include Blek le Rat, DABSMYLA, D*Face, ELLE, Icy & Sot, Invader, Lady Aiko, Maya Hayuk, Seen, Shepard Fairey and The London Police.

The dynamic photos show the makers behind one of the most important contemporary art movements. On request, artists are also unrecognizable in the picture. Cinematic, hyper-realistic images are created through storytelling. The portrait photographer was inspired by the texture and colors of the murals. SURFACE is the result of a five-year journey to world cities such as Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Miami, New York, Paris and Sydney . A book of the portrait project of the same name is available in which 135 street artists are included.

About Søren

Søren Solkær (Sønderborg, 1969) lives and works in Copenhagen. He studied photography at FAMU in Prague. The photographer exhibits in museums and galleries worldwide and is internationally known for his iconic portraits of various pop musicians. His extensive oeuvre is collected in seven inspiring photo books: Beat City, CLOSER, SOULS, SURFACE, Portraits 1993-2018, Black Sun and PASSAGE.

Supporting videos can also be seen during the exhibition. In addition, Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof organizes a support program with talks, scooter routes, guided tours, workshops and the realization of several murals in Maastricht.