On the 19th of January, Flat Octopus visited the studio of the Swedish artist Johan Franzén.
Johan is a painter, a 2015 graduate of the Royal Art Academy in Stockholm, and a wonderful person who can turn murky waters into tasty coffee (literally). His exhibitions in the past years range from solo shows at Charlotte Lund Gallery, Stockholm and POM Gallery, Mariefred, or group exhibitions in fivehundredthousand Gallery, London, Allkonstrummet, Stockholm, Espace 0, Brussels, and others.
Johan’s works captivated us for several reasons. Although the motives vary from depicting friends and family to capturing diapositives and film slides, they all share a certain solid stillness that turns them from momentary life-like subjects into something long-lasting, enclosed in an abstract, indescribable, and very alluring vacuum. With this, there is a certain tenderness especially shining through in his intimate mid- to large-scale portraits and his simple line drawings, a softness of touch and emotion.
Photo: Alice Máselníková
Photo: Alice Máselníková
Oil painting by Johan Franzén, detail.
Photo: Alice Máselníková
Flat Octopus 