{{short description|Danish painter (born 1974)}} '''Adam Saks''' (born 1974 in Copenhagen) is a Danish painter who lives and works in Berlin.

== Biography == Adam Saks studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from 1993 to 1999. In 1996–1997 he studied under Professor Bernd Koberling at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin.

Adam Saks is a painter, draftsman, watercolorist, in short, an astounding inventor of images and besides that, an outstanding protagonist of his generation in Scandinavia. In his paintings, figures, plants, symbols or writing appear, only to vanish in amorphous color or unbound surface-ornaments, in the next blink of an eye – just as the becoming and passing away of nature. Yet, compared to the Vanitas of human existence or a baroque memento mori, Adam Saks reveals an encouraging confirmation of life. His pictures are situated in a state of constant transformation, they bundle and unfold an immense swirl of impressions, memories, emotions and moods. A life in color which occasionally loses itself and regains itself at another place as seen in the exhibition Inhaling Darkness Exhaling Galaxies at Kunstverein Reutlingen (Germany 2017)

In 2011 and 2012 Adam Saks devoted himself extensively to examining the relationship between human beings and nature, or the human figure as an integral part of the organic cycle of life. Multiple influences flow together in Adam Saks's paintings and paperworks. He lets himself drift through travel narratives; directly into the horror of plundering, pillaging and colonialism with its solitude and aggression (e.g. the French Foreign Legion); through compendiums of heraldry and emblemata; and out of cheap comics or tattoo magazines – seafarer's or criminal tattoos as traces of human presence.

Adam Saks has created several artist books with Schaefer Grafisk Vaerksted, Copenhagen. Among them ''Deep Drawings'' (2004), ''Raid'' (2004) and ''Fill Your Hands'' (2007) are made in the monochrome technique of direct transfer in a limited edition of 250 copies each. ''Elephant Island'' (2009) is a facsimile of a large ink drawing which – like James Joyce's ulyssian stream of consciousness – waves and weaves itself as well as a massive array of motifal flotsam throughout the whole 29,7 × 630 cm long span of the book rawly bound as Japanese paperback.

Adam Saks has had numerous institutional solo exhibitions, e.g., Lieu D´art Contemporain in Narbonne (France, 2008, 2018), the Nordiska Akvarellmuseet (Sweden, 2009), the ARoS – Aarhus Kunstmuseum (Denmark, 2010), the Städtische Galerie Offenburg (Germany, 2012), Kunsthal Nord - Aalborg (Denmark, 2016), Kunstverein Reutlingen (Germany, 2017)

== Awards (selection) == * 2015 ''Kjell Nupen Memorial Grant'' * 2009 ''Niels Wessel Bagges Art Foundation''

== Biennales & Triennials (selection) == * 2016 ''International Print Biennale'', Newcastle, England * 2010 ''False Recognition'', 14th Vilnius Painting Triennial, Vilnius, Lithuania

== Exhibitions (selection) ==

* 2020 ''Adam og Asger'', with Asger Jorn, Galerie Moderne, Silkeborg, Denmark * 2019 ''We Are The Human Waterfall'', Galerie MøllerWitt, Copenhagen, Denmark * 2018 ''Infinite Voyage'', Galerie Forsblom; Helsinki, Finland * 2018 ''Pilgrim on a Hidden Path'', Meliksetian & Briggs, Los Angeles / CA, USA * 2018 ''Loops of Utopia'', Lieu d'Art Contemporain, Narbonne, France * 2017 ''Adam Saks'', Kunstverein Reutlingen, Reutlingen, Germany * 2016 ''Setting Sail In A Teadrop Of Fear And Desire'', Kunsthal NORD, Aalborg, Denmark * 2015 ''Strange Fates Some Fruits Are Given'', Galleri Møller-Witt, Aarhus, Denmark * 2015 ''Adam Saks'', Galleri Ismene, Trondheim, Norway * 2014 ''I Am A Ghost I Am A Totem I Am A Still Life'', Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland * 2014 ''Adam Saks'', Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany * 2014 ''Flora Empire'', Galerie Møller Witt, Denmark * 2013 ''Portrait of the Moon & a Single Blue Frog'', Galerie Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland * 2012 ''Ende Neu'', Städtische Galerie, Offenburg, Germany * 2012 ''Atropa'', Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2011 ''Follow You Follow Me'', Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2010 ''Visual Voodoo'', ARoS – Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark * 2010 ''Dry your Eyes'', Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark * 2009 ''Mexican Standoff'', Schaefer Grafisk Vaerksted, Copenhagen, Denmark * 2009 ''Lone Star'', Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Skärhamn, Sweden * 2009 ''Sacré Nom de Dieu'', Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, Germany * 2008 ''Victime de sa Force'', L.A.C, Narbonne, France * 2007 ''Pazi Snajper'', Galerie Kapinos, Berlin, Germany * 2006 ''Transgressor'', Aarhus Kunstbygning, Aarhus, Denmark * 2006 ''Marion, Nur Für Dich'', Schaefer Grafisk Vaerksted, Copenhagen, Denmark

== Group exhibitions (selection) == *2020 ''Explorations'', Turku Art Museum, Turku, Finland *2020 ''Bed and Clock, Moon and Beach: Edvard Munch'', Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin, Germany *2019 ''Nordisk Akvareller 2019'', Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum, Frederikshavn, Denmark *2018 ''Fusion'', Nordiska Akvarelmuseet, Skärhamn, Sweden *2018 ''New Black Romanticism'', Topičuv Salon, Prague, Czech Republic *2018 ''New Black Romanticism'', Künstlerhaus Palais Thurn und Taxis, Bregenz, Austria *2018 ''New Black Romanticism'', Galerie der Stadt Backnang, Germany *2017 ''Neue Schwarze Romantik'', Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany *2017 ''New Black Romanticism'', Muzeul Național de Artă al României, Bucharest, Romania *2017 ''New Black Romanticism'', Stadtgalerie Kiel, Germany *2017 Galleri Ismene, Trondheim, Norway *2016 ''Vitales Echo'', Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany *2016 ''International Print Biennale'', Newcastle, UK *2016 ''Træsnit'', Galerie Moderne, Silkeborg, Denmark *2016 ''Let’s Get Physical: Spatial Confrontations and Narrative Collisions'', KKW, Leipzig, Germany * 2015 ''Out of the Darkness'', ARoS, Aarhus, Denmark * 2015 ''Vattenkonst'', Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Skarham, Sweden * 2015 ''Berlin Artists’ Statements'', BWAContemporary Art Gallery, Katowice, Poland * 2014 ''Wo ist hier? #1: Malerei und Gegenwart'', Kunstverein Reutlingen, Reutlingen, Germany * 2014 ''Luggage and Observations'', Galerie Klaus Gerrit Friese, Stuttgart, Germany * 2014 ''Cap Jorn'', Galerie Moderne, Silkeborg, Denmark * 2013 ''Under Pressure'', Stolper & Friends, Oslo, Norway * 2013 ''Moraltarantula 6'', Hamburg, Germany * 2012 ''Flying'', Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany * 2012 ''Charade'', Sammlung Haubrok, Berlin, Germany * 2012 ''Light & Space'', Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Sweden * 2012 ''Status Berlin (1)'', Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany * 2012 ''Merchandizing'', Wonderloch Kellerland, Berlin, Germany * 2010 ''New Impressions'', Bourouina Gallery, Berlin, Germany

== Public Collections (selection) == * Kiasma (Finland) * EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art (Finland) * ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum (Denmark) * Kunsten – Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg (Denmark) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120310212915/http://www.lac.narbonne.com/ LAC – Lieu d’Art Contemporain], Narbonne (France) * [http://www.malmo.se/konstmuseum Malmø Kunstmuseum], Malmø (Sweden) * [http://www.akvarellmuseet.se/Kultur_Default.aspx?id=47014 Nordiska Akvarellmuseet], Skärhamn (Sweden) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110907052704/http://www.museum-sonderjylland.dk/SIDERNE/Museerne/Kunst-Tonder/01-Velkommen.html Sønderjyllands Kunstmuseum], Tønder (Denmark) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120206140705/http://www.kunst.dk/statenskunstfond/ Statens Kunstfond], Copenhagen (Denmark) * Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen (Denmark)

== Artist Books(selection) == * ''Lubok no. 8'', Lubok Verlag Leipzig, 2013 * ''Night Stalker'', artist book, edited by Dorothee Heine and Christian Malycha, Q1, Berlin, 2011 * ''Elephant Island'', artist book, Schäfer Grafisk Værksted, text by Christian Malycha, Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld 2009 * ''Fill Your Hands'', artist book, Schäfer Grafisk Værksted, Copenhagen 2007 * ''Raid'', artist book, Schäfer Grafisk Værksted, Copenhagen 2005 * ''Re-Raid'', artist book, Schäfer Grafisk Værksted, Copenhagen 2005 * ''Deep Drawings'', artist book, Schäfer Grafisk Værksted, Copenhagen 2004

== Solo Publications (selection) == * ''Flora Empire'', Seven Etchings, Atelier Larsen, Helsingborg, 2013 * ''Portrait of the Moon & a Single Blue Frog'', Galerie Forsblom, text: Leevi Haapala, 2013 * ''Atropa'', Gallery Bourouina, tekst: Christoph Tannert, 2012 * ''Ende Neu'', catalogue edited by Städtische Galerie Offenburg, texts by Gerlinde Brandenburger-Eisele, Christian Malycha and Roberto Ohrt, Offenburg, 2012 * ''Follow You Follow Me'', catalogue edited by Bourouina Gallery, interview with Adam Saks by David Ulrichs, Berlin, 2011 * ''Nausikaa'', catalogue edited by Dorothee Heine and Christian Malycha, Q.H.S.O.I.Q.O.C.M.S. 4, Berlin 2010 * ''Visual Voodoo'', catalogue edited by ARoS – Aarhus Kunstmuseum, texts by Marie Nipper and Jens Erik Sørensen, Aarhus 2010 * ''Dry your Eyes'', catalogue edited by Galleri Christoffer Egelund, text by Tine Nygaard, Copenhagen 2010 * ''Sea Level – Sailors and Prisoners. Coloured Pencil Drawings'', edited by Josef Kleinheinrich, text by Kay Heymer, Buchkunst Kleinheinrich, Münster 2009 * ''Lonestar'', catalogue edited by the Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, texts by Bernd Koberling, Bera Nordal and Björn Springfeldt, Skärhamn, 2009 * ''Sacré Nom de Dieu!'', catalogue edited by Bourouina Gallery, text by Christian Malycha, Berlin, 2009 * ''Victime de Sa Force'', catalogue edited by Lieu D´art Contemporain, text by Thorsten Sadowsky, Narbonne 2008 * ''Transgressor'', catalogue edited by Galleri Veggerby, Copenhagen 2006 * ''Fatalité'', catalogue edited by Vikingsberg Kunsthal, text by Björn Springfeldt, Helsingborg 2005 * ''Machete'', catalogue edited by Sønderjyllands Kunstmuseum, text by Thorsten Sadowsky, Tønder 2003

==External links== * [http://www.adamsaks.com Adam Saks] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20131211113601/http://www.galerieforsblom.com/artists/adam_saks/representative_works/ Galerie Forsblom] * [http://www.kerberverlag.com/en/no_cache/productsearch/controller/Shop/action/show/product/687.html Kerber Verlag Bielefeld] * [http://www.kleinheinrich.de/buchkunst/buecher_autoren/saks.html BuchKunst Kleinheinrich Münster] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001852/http://www.kleinheinrich.de/buchkunst/buecher_autoren/saks.html |date=2016-03-04 }}

==References== * [http://www.aros.dk/besoeg-aros/udstillinger/2010/adam-saks-visual-voodoo/ ARoS - Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark] * [http://www.artfacts.net/en/artist/adam-saks-43583/profile.html artfacts] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081009181024/http://www.documentary-art.net/tag/video-listings.php?e=192 Documentary] * [http://vimeo.com/3621692 Documentary]

{{Authority control (arts)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saks, Adam}} Category:Living people Category:1974 births Category:Painters from Copenhagen Category:Painters from Berlin Category:20th-century Danish painters Category:21st-century Danish painters