Antler Helmet (2020)

Malene Hartmann Rasmussen’s ceramic creations invite the spectator to step into a surreal world where dark undercurrents abound and things are never quite as they seem. Working in her distinctive style, Rasmussen conjures characters that often evoke what seems to be a far-off world of folklore, myth and legend, yet each incarnation is in fact much closer to home – a study in ceramic designed to exorcise personal feelings of misery, anger and grief. In her own words, Rasmussen explains, ‘I want my work to look like a very skilled child could have made it, clumsy and elaborate at the same time. Initially the viewer may, mistakenly, be drawn to my figures thinking them to be toys; however closer examination reveals their rather darker narrative.’

Antler Helmet was first shown in 2019 as part of the installation Fantasma, which Rasmussen describes as a kind of temple in which she could explore feelings around the loss of her own father and mother. Antler Helmet is an animal/human hybrid, the antlers resembling those that could have been used in shamanic seances. The helmet shape instantly resonates as an excavated Viking relic. Both elements come together as a visual mnemonic of the journey from life to the afterlife. It comes as little surprise to learn that Rasmussen’s early childhood visits to the National Museum in Denmark inspired Antler Helmet. There she was introduced to Bronze Age horned helmets, replete with zoomorphic design elements – surviving relics from an era where burial rituals were wholly affected by the desire to achieve a successful afterlife. Antler Helmet is an exciting addition to Aberdeen Archive, Gallery & Museum’s collection. Because of the meaning behind the piece, Antler Helmet is also a route into discussing loss, grief and memory – themes of unparalleled collective relevance for so many in society today.

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