Wings around...
"to free himself from his shackles and rise to his true greatness."
80 x 120 cm - still available
Between heaven and earth
The first time you look at a work by Anja Hagemann, you are immediately captivated by her abstract and colorful world. The vibrant colors and the joy emanating from them inevitably awaken the desire to learn more about her art. Anja's abstractions are fluid and floating. They move between sparkling clouds and denser areas of color. The plant imprints introduce a figurative dimension for the viewer to hold onto before losing themselves in the colorful and invigorating swirls of her work. In her deeply peaceful works, nature unfolds through ramifications and spreads over the entire surface.
The plant forms permeate the background and lend the works a fascinating depth and structure. The luminous fern prints create an impressive relief that plays with lightness and balance. The paint flows around the plant imprint in a subtle way, creating a harmonious composition of form and color. In works such as "Wings for" and "My roots are in heaven II", the powerful softness of the imprints can be felt, serving as the supporting structure of the composition. The dynamics and balance of the picture are created by this natural element, which runs through the entire work and gives it its unique depth.
My roots are in heaven
"Our roots are where our heart is."
Saint-Exupéry
40 x 40 cm - still available
In "Inner Freedom", exhibited in 2023 in the castle of Asnières-sur-Seine, life unfolds in all its splendor. The colorful, round and energetic shapes embody a pulsating balance that literally makes the eye dance. Gentle curves lead the eye deep into the vibrant colors, while a piece of silk scarf blends harmoniously into the joyful play of serpentine shapes and dazzling colors.
The density of the red and blue tones is masterfully balanced by watercolor-like nuances of blue, creating a sparkling overall work of art. Splashes and runs of color lend the work a lively dynamism, as if it were in a continuous, breathing process. The color becomes the inseparable carrier of the light, which radiates a magical, almost tangible aura.
Anja's works allow the colors to flow in waves, while the rounded shapes allow the eye to wander unhindered across the canvas. The balance of shapes and colors is based on free, white surfaces that lend structure to the work. Anja uses the colors with great sensitivity and deliberation: From soft shades of pink, which mix in contrast with intense blues and greens, to warmer nuances, a veritable firework display of the senses unfolds. Each element is balanced in such a way that it finds its own meaning and place, creating works in which harmony surpasses chaos and overcomes it at the same time.
Inner freedom
"Freedom does not consist in being able to do what you want, but rather in not having to do what you don't want."
Jiddu Krishnamurti
140 x 160 cm - still available
When you enter Anja's studio, it immediately becomes clear that it is her inner reflection. You are immersed in a world full of life, poetry and impressive vitality. The colors literally flood into the visitor as the eye wanders from one object to the next - from large-format paintings to works on paper still lying on the table. The large formats leaning on the floor or on the wall offer an extraordinary closeness and invite you to drift through Anja's tart, plant-based universe. The color fields, which are reminiscent of celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, stars or planets, create a fascinating cosmogony that fills the room and makes the walls of the studio vibrate.
On the table, you can see how Anja transforms her paintings into objects. The colorful compositions are transformed into beautiful, high-quality scarves that radiate lightness and cheerfulness. You immediately feel the desire to hold one of these scarves in the wind and feel the vibrations that are already hinted at on the canvas. The scarf becomes the embodiment of the painting, gently stroking the skin and tenderly enveloping the body.
In her new series, Anja gives her works even more dynamism. The colors are more diluted and brighter, which gives the paintings a new lightness. Anja has chosen to work on raw canvas, combining acrylic, Chinese ink, sand, watercolor and collage. Nevertheless, there is no feeling of overload or imbalance. On the contrary: Anja begins a phase of simplification in which she reduces the forms and softens the intensity of the colors. The plant motif increasingly gives way to the cellular, a world in the making. This series radiates great calm. The abstract forms emerge and unfold with a touching freedom that characterizes Anja's work. Despite the increased softness and transparency, these new works retain their sensuality and power, which carry us far into her world.
Abigaïl Hostein Art historian and expert in contemporary art, July 2024
