Artist: Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen
Exhibition title: Moonlight Bunny Napping
Venue: Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague, The Netherlands
Date: September 2 – October 28, 2023
Photography: Gert Jan van Rooij /copyright the artist & courtesy by Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague
Note: an accompanying essay by Melchior Jaspers (art advisor for the Chief Government Architect of The Netherlands) is available here
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen is a recent graduate from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Combining his Danish and Filipino background, he approaches painting with a colourful and intuitive style that reflects his dual cultural identity. His work not only celebrates his heritage but also draws inspiration from the influences of his childhood, including the world of ‘street-culture’ where he first began to wield a paintbrush. Cabrillos Jacobsen weaves stories onto the canvas, which are inspired by the tapestry of his everyday life and cherished memories from years gone by. Playfulness and melancholy seem to blend seamlessly.
He sees his paintings as mediums for story-telling, where the story-telling is not only limited to the painting’s visual composition and figuration, but continues in the physical aspects of the painting. By layering, erasing and re-working his images, he tries to create a language which is evoked by more formal aspects, such as colours, lines, shapes, and textures. The use of discarded textiles or wood is a distinguishing feature within his works.
Cabrillos Jacobsen’s paintings show figures, whose origins are difficult to pin down. His work can be seen as a research of the spaces in between; being half this, being half that, being half here, being half there. It serves as a metaphor of being outside and inside. What can our personal histories and cultural identity teach us? How do we relate as locals, as foreigners, as tourists or even as expats? Where do we really belong? The people in Cabrillos Jacobsen’s paintings are nevertheless ‘vibing’ and seem to be enjoying each other’s company and their surroundings. They have a contemplative and relaxed attitude and seem to take things in their stride.
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen (1996, DK) is a visual artist based in Amsterdam. This summer he graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. He considers himself as a painter, but also works with collage, textiles and sculpture. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Wanderlust’ at Chaxartxams in Amsterdam. Recent group exhibitions include ‘Act II: The Observatory’ at Ombrella in Copenhagen.
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Dwellers of the forest, 2022, oil on burlap and canvas, artist’s frame, 132,5 × 283 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Moonlight Bunny Napping, 2023, exhibition view, Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Dwellers of the forest, 2022, oil on burlap and canvas, artist’s frame, 132,5 × 283 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Moonlight Bunny Napping, 2023, exhibition view, Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Depiction of memories, 2023, oil and beeswax on wood, 210 × 155 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Moonlight Bunny Napping, 2023, exhibition view, Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Joy of bong, 2022, oil on canvas, artist’ frame, 140,5 × 160 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Joy of bong, 2022, oil on canvas, artist’ frame, 140,5 × 160 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, They didn’t wanna go home, 2023, oil on canvas and burlap, artist frame, 122 × 182cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, They didn’t wanna go home, 2023, oil on canvas and burlap, artist frame, 122 × 182cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Moonlight Bunny Napping, 2023, exhibition view, Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Golfin’ from Islands, 2022, oil and acylic on canvas, artist frame, 40 × 30 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Bunny Thieves, 2022-2023, oil, lacquer, oilpastel, softpastel on wood, artist frame, 108 × 96 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Moonlight Bunny Napping, 2023, exhibition view, Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Journey at Night, 2022, oil on jute, 182 × 130 cm
Daniel Cabrillos Jacobsen, Moonlight Bunny Napping, 2023, exhibition view, Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague