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. Before his lens have been iconic pop musicians such as Adele, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Pharrell Williams and U2. With SURFACE, the museum presents more than sixty portraits of international street artists alongside their colorful works of art in public spaces; from graffiti pioneers and emerging talents 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 photographs show the creators behind one of the most important, contemporary art movements. Upon request, artists are also portrayed unrecognized. Cinematic, hyper-realistic images were created with storytelling. In the process, the portrait photographer drew inspiration from the texture and colors of the murals.SURFACE is the result of a five-year journey through world cities such as Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Miami, New York, Paris and Sydney. A book of the same name is available of the portrait project that features 135 street artists.

About Søren

Søren Solkær (born Sønderborg, 1969) lives and works in Copenhagen. He studied photography at FAMU in Prague. The photographer exhibits worldwide in museums and galleries and enjoys international fame for his iconic portraits of various pop musicians. His extensive body of work has been compiled into seven inspiring photo books: Beat City, CLOSER, SOULS, SURFACE, Portraits 1993-2018, Black Sun and PASSAGE.

Supporting videos will also be on display during the exhibition. In addition, Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof is organizing a framing program with talks, scooter tours, guided tours, workshops and the realization of some murals in Maastricht.