Ovartaci was the

artistic name A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

of the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

visual artist Louis Marcussen (1894 – 1985). In 1923, Ovartaci emigrated to Argentina for six years for work, along the way rambling and experimenting with drugs. Ovartaci was committed to the Risskov psychiatric hospital in 1929. She then had a

sex change Sex change is a natural or artificial process in which an individual's sex is changed. Sex change may also refer to: Biology and medicine *Sex reassignment therapy *Sex reassignment surgery *Sequential hermaphroditism, a phenomenon whereby some ...

operation in 1957. She lived and worked in the institution for fifty-six years. In 1972 Ovartaci decided not to identify as a woman and started identifying as a man until his death in 1985. Ovartaci's

phantasmagoric Phantasmagoria (, also fantasmagorie, fantasmagoria) was a form of horror theatre that (among other techniques) used one or more magic lanterns to project frightening images, such as skeletons, demons, and ghosts, onto walls, smoke, or semi- ...

work features numerous female and animal figures set within an abundance of symbols, interiors, and landscapes. These figures are invested with a sense of identification that seems to defy the divide between real life and the realm of art. In 2018 an expansive exhibition entitled
Ovartaci and the Art of Madness
included a survey of the artist's work, as well as homages and related works by contemporary artists. His art can be seen at Museum Ovartaci in Aarhus, Denmark, a museum named after him showcasing artwork created at the psychiatric hospital in Risskov, Denmark. In 2022, a monograph on Ovartaci's life, work and production was released
Ovartaci: The Signature of Madness

References

20th-century Danish women artists 1894 births 1985 deaths Transgender women artists Danish LGBT artists Danish transgender women 20th-century Danish LGBT people Outsider artists {{Denmark-artist-stub