He’s Redefining Self Portraiture Without Ever Painting His Face - Julius Aagaard
When you picture a self portrait, you might envisage a likeness rendered in oil paint, acrylic or pencil. Jolle, 19 and hailing from Copenhagen, reshapes the art form, channeling his emotions through a character rather than relying on smile lines and puckered lips. He uses this character as a vessel for emotion and self exploration evolving in real time in parallel with his own personal growth and development.
This idea was born from a vulnerable place, feeling unable to express his true emotions and through that struggle, he created something he genuinely loves. The character quickly became a safe outlet for his honesty, “The character lets me express things I normally keep hidden, and it feels more honest than trying to make a perfect or realistic version of myself” he says. He is unintentionally offering a subtle social commentary on how candidly we express ourselves to one another when navigating hardship or complex emotions.
The paintings portray a playful figure that echoes Jolle’s sense of innocence. “It looks simple and almost childlike, but everything surrounding it is chaotic or messy, which is how life can feel sometimes” he says. This art has enabled him to embark on a journey of self discovery, providing the freedom to express himself openly without judgment and to confront the experiences he has endured. “It’s not a literal self-portrait, but it represents me in a way I can actually work with” he says.
The ever evolving nature of his art serves as a journal of his emotional self, like a series of time capsules capturing how he felt in each moment. Each one always differs from the last, “Every time I paint it, something about the character shifts a little, and that reflects how I’m changing too. Some days it feels more closed off, other days it looks softer or more open.” The art has become a reflective tool, “The character becomes a kind of mirror, but one that I can distort, exaggerate, or simplify depending on where I’m at mentally.”
People have many different ways of expressing themselves, for Jolle, this character has become more than just a painting, but a portal into his inner world. Now more than ever, it is vital to feel passionate about what we create and savour our authenticity. We can draw inspiration from artists like Jolle who use their work as a creative outlet for connection. “When people look at my work, they’re not seeing my face, but they’re seeing what’s happening underneath it. For me, that feels like the most genuine way to communicate.”