Yrjo Edelman, Finnish, (1941-2016), Finland, Sweden. Hyperrealism, three-dimensional painting, trompe l'oeil packages, paper art, surrealism, illusion.

The oil on canvas painting is signed lower right. 60 x 61 in.

Yrjo Edelman's artworks belong to an extensive list of public collections and he is considered the great illusionist of Swedish contemporary art. Edelman is best known for his trompe lÕoeil paintings of napkins and especially of packages. The artist created wrapped objects from which he observed and painted, creating a type of still life painting that eliminates all background and enlarges the entire object so that the canvas appears to become the object itself in a feat of technical mastery. These beautiful "wrapped gifts" combine the historic tradition of still life painting by the old masters with the contemporary object of wrapping paper. Edelman elevates simple everyday subject matter into enormous depictions. Subtle elements such as reflections of light on the creased surface is given hyper-real treatment to possess a lifelike presence before the viewer. For some paintings, such as this untitled work, Edelman altered the outside edges of the canvas to conform to the perimeter of the particular sculpture he was depicting in paint. Faint shadows cast on the wall surrounding the painting increase its physical claim to reality twofold. Furthermore, the illusion of creases along the edges are dramatically believable despite the edges literally being straight.