Black Antoinette: The Work of Olaf Hajek

Olaf Hajek is currently one of the world’s most successful and well-known illustrators. His work can be seen in publications including the New York Times and the Guardian, in advertisements for companies such as Bacardi and Daimler Benz, as well as on stamps for Great Britain’s Royal Mail. Despite the diversity of his clientele, Hajek makes no aesthetic compromises. His characteristic style is what makes his work appealing to a broad audience and range of clients. Now his personal work is garnering increasing attention on the international art market. Hajek’s colorful illustrations and textured paintings are infused with a folkloristic na*veté and freshness. Masterfully melding influences from West African and Latin American art, he creates surreal juxtapositions of fairytale fantasies and disordered realities. His "magical realism" enriches the perspective of anyone viewing his work. Black Antoinette is a collection of Olaf Hajek’s most recent work that was created over the last three years. Consisting mostly of advertising and editorial contracts, commercial portraits, and fashion illustration, the examples in this book showcase a remarkable style that has become more free and painterly during this time. In his foreword, Philipp Demandt, the head of Berlin’s Old National Gallery, positions Olaf Hajek at the nexus of the seemingly opposing realms of art
and contract work.