Jasper Sebastian Stürup

When The Lobster Met The Dolphin. Salon. By Savannah Gorton. September. 2022
Text for When The Lobster Met The Dolphin. Salon. Copenhagen. 2022

Jasper Sebastian Stürup’s work explores the relationship between figuration and the everyday in life – that which is personal, coupled with his own surroundings and ongoing fascinations. Spanning drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, video, and artist’s books, his wide-ranging oeuvre has always held the figure and the sensitivity of the drawn line to be a central aspect of his practice.

Stürup’s exhibition When the Lobster Met The Dolphin, 2022, presents new works on paper comprised of charcoal and pastel drawings on watercolour. His work captures and shares both intimate moments and the milieu of the Salon restaurant, along with its founder and chef Røde Claus, staff and guests. The exhibition’s title is an homage to Røde Claus’ signature dish, The Dolphin, wherein turbot and lobster mingle together in a classic and surprising fashion, transforming into a whimsical dolphin-like creature on the plate.

During the last several months, Stürup spent time in Salon’s kitchen and dining rooms, drawing on location as well as photographing the daily rhythms of the restaurant, both private and public. In this manner, the resulting drawings express enjoyment, celebration, and romance, amid the gatherings of lovers, friends, colleagues, and family, along with the staff’s dedication in their behind-the-scenes efforts to present the very best for their guests.

In the tradition of French artist and legendary ‘bon vivant’ Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, raise a glass and a fork and devour the exhibition at Salon.