24/09/2026
As part of Spotlight: Contemporary at the British Art Fair 2026, we are pleased to present a solo exhibition for the London-based artist Malene Hartmann Rasmussen.
Malene Hartmann Rasmussen works within the field of narrative figurative sculpture and installation. A recurring theme in her work is the forest and the mythological creatures that lurk in the dark woods. She weaves together notions of memories, daydreams and childhood nostalgia into a fairy-tale of her own making. Hartmann Rasmussen’s interest in the forest stems from its recurrence in European literature and myth, ancient cults, pagan rituals, and as a metaphor for the hidden realms of the unconscious mind. Comprising a number of elaborate fragments, she creates tableaux of visual excess through which she seeks to evoke an emotional response in the viewer and actuate their imagination. Her work draws on the idea of animism; that animals and plants have a soul and that rivers, mountains and rocks, if not actually alive, are in some way sentient. She is interested in the human subconscious and strives to create a hyper-real world that addresses this gap between perception and reality. Her ornate ceramics may initially appear excessively sweet, but upon closer inspection reveal themselves as impossible and absurd objects, imbued with the artist’s own dark narrative. As a form of catharsis, the artist tries to exorcise misery, anger, and grief – as if they were demons – emotions which relate to the loss of her father and mother and the memories of a time now passed.
The British Art Fair takes place at the Saatchi Gallery in London from 24 – 27 September. We will be on Stand 1 in Spotlight: Contemporary on the second floor.
