Artist Biography
Leonard Johansson
B. 1987 Stockholm, Sweden.

Leonard Johansson´s practice combines painting sewing and digital rendered works on to canvas.
Recent projects include his 2015 solo exhibition Under the influence at Hanmi Gallery in Seoul Korea and 2016 solo exhibition Permanent Vacation in Stockholm Sweden. Leonard moved to London in 2011 and enrolled at Camberwell College of Arts and graduated with a BA in fine arts in 2014.
Participating in his first debut group show at a major gallery with a series of works at the Interval exhibition with Gazelli Art House London in 2013. The following year, 2014, he opened his first UK solo exhibition with Hanmi Gallery London Confessions Of An Opium Eater. The show consisted of a new series of works and site-specific installations presented on the four floors of the Gallery space. In 2015 Leonard opened his first Korean debut show: Under the Influence in Seoul Korea with Hanmi Gallery.
Leonard currently lives and works in Stockholm Sweden


Artist Statement
Leonard Johansson

"If you emptied my head right now, this is probably all you would find"

The dual theme of celebration and satire is the departure points in Leonard Johansson´s visually layered paintings, sculptures and installations. Appropriating imagery from our digitally bombarded screen culture, Leonard translates the everyday imagery and re-contextualizes them with subliminal messages of indoctrination.
By combining the analogue painting with the digitally rendered images the paintings function as a surface to present, brake down and analyse its context. The sculptural feeling of the works is the result of using a broad selection of materials such as, digital printing techniques, airbrush, and sewing. By stitching, printing and painting the different segments together, Leonard creates intricate patchworks of thoughts that combine the human and digital aesthetics of errors and perfection in to the works.
Exploring the process in making the works, the hand labour represent the tipping point in where selection and decision making collides with the digital selection.
Through the multiple complex surfaces Leonard represent the human hand accompanied with digital perfection and errors. Both painted, sewn and printed back in to the picture.


Artist CV
Leonard Johansson
Born 1987, Stockholm Sweden
Education
Camberwell College Of Arts | 2014 | London
Konstskolan Basis | 2009 | Stockholm

Solo Exhibitions

2016- Permanent Vacation | Kommendörsgatan 15 | Stockholm
2015- Under The Influence | Hanmi Gallery | Seoul
2014 - A Force Of Habit | Oxenstiernska Malmgården | Stockholm
2014 - Confessions of an Opium Eater | Hanmi Gallery | London
2011 - Landscapes and pictures of now | Artillerigatan 6 | Stockholm
2010 - Libertad | Snickarbacken 7 | Stockholm
2009 - Gallery Olby | Young Action Painting | Stockholm
2008 - Gallery Olby | Young Action Painting | Stockholm

Selected Group Exhibitions

2014 - The Show Must Go On | Choi & Lager | Paris
2014 - Twin Heat | 19 Sep- 6 Oct | Rouge Project Space | Manchester
2013 - Group show | NAU Gallery | Stockholm
2013 - Interval | Gazelli Art House | London
2013 - Soda Stream | Bear Space Gallery | London
2012 - Vault | Shoreditch Town Hall | London

Art Fairs

2015- KIAF | Hanmi Gallery | Seoul, Korea

2015 - Art Busan | Hanmi Gallery | Busan, Korea

2014 - Art Busan | Choi & Lager | Busan, Korea

2014- Manchester Contemporary | Caustic Costal | Manchester, England

Publications

Public Art Magazine | 2015 | June issue
Vouge Korea | 2015 | June issue
Kreativa hem | 2015
GEEK Magazine | 2015 | June issue
London Korean Links | 2014 | March issue online
Barnaby's | 2014 | March issue online
The Link Magazine | 2013 | November issue #318
Sebra News | 2013 | Summer issue
The Steeple Times | 2013 | Publicised June 19
The Scholar Magazine | 2012 | February issue #1
Östermalms nytt | 2010 | Issue #18
Sköna hem | 2010 | Issue #2