Morten Schelde (b. 1972) is a Danish visual artist.
Schelde was trained at the Art Academy of Funen 1994-1996 and is a graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts 1996-2001. He started out as a painter, experimented briefly with photography, and ultimately found his own unique style through the subdued language of his meticulous drawings.
Morten Schelde’s universe is often dramatic, constructed upon the clash of diverging spheres and transitions between worlds. By generally reducing his colour scheme to strict explorations of red, Schelde puts emphasis on the drawing as a medium.
Alongside some of the most celebrated Danish artists of the last decades (Erik A. Frandsen, Tal R, John Kørner, Olafur Eliasson among others), Morten Schelde participated in the decoration of the Palace of Frederik the 8th in 2010. Schelde’s installation in the reception chamber of the palace is a dreamlike portrayal of the engine room of The Ram – a ship that both he and the Crown Prince travelled aboard during the Galathea Expeditions of 2006-7.
In addition to many high-profiled group shows, Morten Schelde has had numerous solo exhibitions both in Denmark and abroad. His works are held in museums such as Louisiana, Arken, Statens Museum for Kunst, Vestsjælllands Kunstmuseum, Museum der Bildenden Künste in Leipzig as well as in practically all major private collections in Denmark.
