Echoes is Jake Aikman’s second solo exhibition. This show follows the successful completion of his Masters Degree from the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town and marks his much anticipated “debut” on the South African art scene. The theme and title of the exhibition continues on from his academic output as he further explores the overarching theoretical theme of repetition in all its complexity.

In Echoes, Aikman plays with scale, focus and repetition to present a series of works that evoke longing, isolation and nostalgia. In repeating certain imagery, Aikman further comments on the process, unique features and the act of painting.

Jake Aikman’s paintings possess an ominous silence, as lonesome figures appear stranded and isolated within the vastness of his seascapes. His work further evokes the sort of melancholic beauty that is characteristic of the finest Romanticist painting of previous generations while being firmly tethered to the present.

Whilst dealing with complex themes and displaying technical mastery, Jake Aikman has the remarkable ability to speak to the viewer in a simple language and to appeal to a common sensitivity. His paintings are fresh, smart and above-all, seductive.