Mathias Malling Mortensen: Between Cut and Surface

Space plays a central role in Mortensen’s practice. Rather than functioning as absence, negative space becomes an active element – shaping the relationships between forms and generating tension within the composition. Light, delicate shapes are set against more complex structures, creating a subtle balance between precision and intuition. These spatial dynamics extend beyond the surface of the work, engaging with their surroundings and reinforcing the sculptural quality of the image.

Mortensen’s approach is marked by a quiet attentiveness to detail and an intuitive sense of construction. His visual vocabulary draws inspiration from urban architectural elements and botanical forms, isolating ornamental or structural details that might otherwise pass unnoticed. In doing so, the works point to subtle connections between the built and the organic, between decorative fragments and carefully layered compositions.

Working primarily with papercutting, painting, and graphic techniques, Mortensen has refined a recognisable cut-out aesthetic. His layered use of paper and canvas allows for precise control over contrasts – between light and dark, surface and depth. Colour combinations and material shifts are employed with restraint, resulting in works that invite prolonged looking rather than immediate interpretation.