Victor Man, born in Cluj, Romania, in 1974, is one of the most independent artists of our time. He appears reserved in public, rarely gives interviews, and sometimes even refuses to attend his own exhibition openings. However, he gained international attention in 2007 through his participation in the 52nd Venice Biennale and in 2014 when he was named “Artist of the Year” by Deutsche Bank. With his representation by the renowned David Zwirner Gallery in 2024, Man was finally accepted into the top echelons of the international art world. In his works, the painter and installation artist creates a haunting visual world of his own, in which a palette of colors, at times bright and at times gloomy, merges with a mystical aura, opening up a wide range of possible interpretations.
His 2013 watercolor “The Chandler” ties in with the painting of the same name from the same year and is one of the earliest works in the series, which currently comprises eight paintings and is considered one of the artist’s most cohesive and significant series. The works are characterized by a complex tapestry of historical and cultural references that skilfully combine different eras, places, and artistic traditions. “The Chandler” showcases Mans' characteristic painting style: the watercolour is used in an almost painterly manner, conveying a contemplative depth and existential gravity that defines his entire oeuvre.
One of Mans' particular strengths lies in his fusion of literature, myth, and personal experience to form an enigmatic and ambiguous visual world. The series “The Chandler” refers to Virginia Woolf's biographical novel “Orlando” (1928). For example, a coat of arms in one of the works refers to the cover of the first edition. However, these literary and lyrical allusions remain subtle and ambiguous, opening up additional levels of interpretation for the viewer.
Throughout the series, Man shows the same motif: a seated figure with its face cut off at the top of the image, a head resting on its lap. In doing so, he questions the genre of portraiture by removing its central characteristic—the recognizability of the person represented. Instead, form, composition, and painting itself come to the fore. The portrait is detached from reality and can be experienced as an independent, autonomous image. [AW]