The time escapes us... Just like the barely perceptible shapes presented by Markus Åkesson. They look human yet empty of life, totally covered by a thick layer of fabric. It's up to you to guess their contours, to dream of their features! Not a single hair protrudes from the shroud that covers these perhaps human figures. If they blend and merge with the decor, they are still visible. One is even rather close to the classic portrait: in bust or mid-leg, in profile or three-quarters, these figures are almost haughty! Imagine them looking at you with an arrogant look... How to do since we see nothing of their faces? The canvas used by Markus Åkesson imitates the toile de Jouy with its printed patterns and repeated models. These motifs are also found in Flemish portraits of the Renaissance. The artist pushes us to meet, but strange since impossible, with mystical characters. In reality, you must have already seen them since they are well-known motifs from the history of art: the dance of death inspired by engravings by Holbein the Younger; the witch riding a goat leaping upside down from a famous print by Albrecht Dürer; there is also the moth, a symbol painted many times by Markus Åkesson ... From canvas to canvas, a quest for meaning and spirituality unfolds before our eyes. But then, aren't these hidden faces the bearers of humanity's greatest mysteries? What is certain is that they directly echo the kiss of Magritte's two veiled lovers, eternal embrace and universal love. In all these works, Markus Åkesson unveils human nature and all its secrets without really showing it.