… an independent autodidakt ART.ist!

Jacob Herskind’s art is a gut feeling – a planet that he has inhabited ever since he took art lessons as a young boy – and met his first inspirator, Georg Ernst from Ebberup – a small village on the Danish island Funen.
As entrepreneur, originator and globetrotter in the shipping business he explored the metropolises of the world before returning back to everyday life at Fønsskov in the middle of Lillebaelt with art as his focal point. The metropolises were integrated in his new life, it was “dreams come true” … but who is Jacob Herskind?

“Humorist. Showman. Artist. Anarchist. Entertainer. Who and what is Jacob Herskind? Leave the question unanswered for a moment. But only for a moment- because he is a mix of it all… in an artistic, sovereign and witty version. He will bombard any viewer’s consciousness with thousands of inputs and outcomes. His images are tricky transformation images that disrespectful and liberating dribbles the sober, normal sense of any art connoisseur. His imagery of the world is insanely normal. Thank God for Jacob Herskind.”

Ole Lindboe, Magasinet KUNST

CV

1958 Born in Roskilde | Denmark
1970ies Art Classes | Georg Ernst
1975 Professional education
1976-85 Shipping career Denmark | Hamburg | Hongkong | London
1987 Herskind & Herskind | Fashionbrands | Radioaktiv & Glasnost
1989 King Course (Broke)
1990-92 Export Manager | Hummel | Danish Sports- and Fashionbrand
1992 Own trading company with Piotr Wozniacki | InEast InWest
1994 Free – and since then working full-time with his art

About the pictures, the art, the exhibitions, the customers and the unmistakable signature!

“Jacob Herskind’s universe of paintings can be seen as a Sunday Edition of a recognized newspaper – they includes something for everybody. The themes of Jacob’s motifs have circled around dogs, cats, birds, people wearing glasses, heros and idols, natural disasters, love, art history, world politics and other foolery, epistemology, ethics, methaphysics … I could go on and on … Jacob’s art wags, sings, balances on the tongue, entertains, throws spears, is bitchy, tricks our perception of art and makes us all smile – more or less … his art has a magical effect. It creates enthusiasm and excitement, fills you with inspiration and go-do-attitude and passes on a – to me so-far unseen – energy.”

KN, Bredgade K.

An introduction …

4 minutes about the past, the art and the thoughts filmed by Jeppe Boedskov (www.jeppebodskov.dk)

Unmistakable JACOB

Approximately 1998 – inspired by old, Chinese works of art at the giant National Palace Museum in Taipei Jacob – started adding his significant signature to all his paintings. Jacob was fascinated – almost hypnotized – by not only the museum, it’s paintings which originated from Beijing from where they had been evacuated to spare them from the Japanese occupiers and later Mao TseTung but also by the detailed stamping of the paintings. Chinese style was to add various owners to the fantastic, Chinese painting by a wax stamp – Jacob style is to add his significant 4 “Chinese-stamp” squares when the painting is finished as a combination of a signature and balance blocks in the painting:

  • the Jacob Herskind monogram
  • the Crown – signaling “Made in Denmark”
  • Roman numerals for the year it was painted
  • the ‘fisheye’ talisman wishing the painting and the new owner of the painting the best of luck

You will find them as an integrated part of all pictures – immediately adding authenticity and value.

Selected Exhibitions

2000-2008 Bredgade Kunsthandel | COPENHAGEN
2000-2008 ArtAngel | Amsterdam | HOLLAND
2007 Galleri Molitoris | Hamborg |GERMANY
2007 | 2016 VestJysk Kunsthandel | DENMARK
2007 Galleri Himmelhav | DANMARK
2007 Danish/Swedish Compagnyt | SWEDEN
2006 Galleri Clifford | DENMARK
2004-2012 ArtHerning | DENMARK
2003-2012 ArtCopenhagen | DENMARK
2002 GKM Malmö |SWEDEN
2014 DeGalerie I Haag | HOLLAND (Part)
2014 Galleri Østergaard | DENMARK
2015 Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum | Verket | DENMARK
2016 Galleri Belle|DENMARK
2016 GaleriMatiaS |COPENHAGEN

Gallery Representations

AMSTERDAM | ArtAngels
DEN HAAG | DeGalerie
HAMBURG | Molitoris
DÜSSELDORF/DORTMUND/BERLIN | Zimmermann & Heitmann

Jacob has created art for

Mercedes | Volkswagen | Ferrari | Credite Suisse |Copenhagen Stock Exchange | Egmont | Novo | Knapp Voith | Trekantsområdet | DanBrit Shipping | M-Real Amsterdam | Party Time Amsterdam | Proud Hamburg | Scan Trans | Ship-Log | m.m.

Book

More about JACOB …

In 2008 the book “Anecdotes about Jacob Herskind” was released by Green Top Art Books, Copenhagen (ISBN 9788799244201).

115 richly illustrated pages written by art historian & critic Trine Ross, art historian Annette E. Feiring and Jacob himself

Unfortunately, it’s sold out and no longer available … maybe to be found ‘vintage’?

It’s history …

… but it’s still relevant. If curious please check Jacob’s history and previous paintings on this long-gone website, here