Works by Finland-born, Far North Queensland-based artist Kai Hagberg preserve moments of transition, his figural practice the product of decades professional discipline. Whether it is a face shifting between expressions, or a mind drifting between thoughts, Hagberg’s paintings forcefully evoke the ephemeral nature of emotion.
In Flight of Fancy, we see his ability to capture nuances of pose and mood in full force, his subject caught in a moment of contemplation. The artist chooses to work without models or references, so this figure is conjured entirely from Hagberg’s mind with the sole purpose of conveying a distinct line of thought. “Flight of Fancy represents the human condition”, says Hagberg, “a body bound by responsibility, but the mind is free to wander”.
Her eyes half closed, her body barely rendered, the strands of her hair fading into a rush of textural strokes – this figure is physically present, but only for a moment. “My work explores the human form as both an active body and mind”, explains the artist, here the artist choosing to visually separate them. It is clear to the viewer that the subject’s mind will soon, quite literally, take wing.
Above: Kai Hagberg, Flight of Fancy, 2024. Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50cm. $560. Courtesy: the artist.