› › › › My African Letters

The base of this painting series is the dialogue in ”My African Letters”. A book of collected letters between the lawyer Amadi Omorose Azagba and myself. Azagba, whose former client Gabriel Ejlerskov, had tragically died and left behind a marvellous house in French colonial style and an astronomical sum of money to be transferred to a relative. This correspondence develops into a lengthy exchange of letters, where the degree of detail gradually increases, almost making the story, which I know is a lie, real.


The presentation of this project consisted of the letters and a number of paintings, illustrating some of the many images and dreams that were so vividly described in the letters from Azagba in his effort to make the story real to me. In the prologue of the book I describe, what it felt like to be force-fed a white man’s exotic prejudices, and how I completely lost my sense of perspective of, what was an artificial prejudice, and what was examples of my own true preconceptions of Africa. In the end: who was using who? Was I in reality ”the bad guy” simply because I am more privileged than Azagba, and because I have spent 20 years in schools in Northern Europe? Was all this my responsibility since Azagba is probably poor and I am fair-haired? What sort of post-colonial guilt-game had I wrapped myself into?

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Thoughts of love, 2011

50 x 50, oil on 5 canvases

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Facts and fashion 1, 2011

Oil on canvas, 21 x 30 cm, 2012

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

A perplexing keenness, 2011

50 x 50 cm, oil on 5 canvases

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Poses on warm asphalt 1, 2011

Oil on canvas, 21 x 30 cm

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Poses on warm asphalt 2, 2011

Oil on canvas, 21 x 30 cm

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Covering up, 2011

Oil on canvas, 30 x 21 cm

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Purple Palm, 2011

50 x 50 cm, oil on 5 canvases

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

When jumping into the dream, 2011

50 x 50 cm, oil on 3 canvases

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Sun, 2011

30 x 38 cm, oil on canvas

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

A car accident on Togo Ghana express way, 2011

22 x 27 cm, oil on canvas

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Truths, 2011

24 x 24 cm, oil on canvas

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Leaving Paradise, 2011

38 x 30 cm, oil on canvas

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

When reconnected to the dream, everything can be reborn, 2011

50 x 50 cm, oil on 5 canvases

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

For sale, 2011

Oil on canvas, 21 x 30 cm

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

On my arm, 2011

Oil on canvas, 18 x 28 cm

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

French stucco ceiling, 2011

80 x 100 cm, oil on canvas

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Around the house, 2011

22 x 27 cm, oil on canvas

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Tropicana Souvenir

Oil on canvas, 21 x 30 cm, 2012

 

 

Ditte Ejlerskov, dansk kunst, Danish art, contemporary portrait painting, portrætmaleri, samtida porträttmåleri, dansk maleri, Danish painting, figurative painting, figurativt maleri, skandinaviskt måleri, skandinavisk maleri, Scandinavian painting

 

Toucan of African amethyst, 2011

20 x 20 cm, oil on canvas