LEON KEER - TAKE TOMORROW BACK, AUG 31-SEPT 7, 2020

Leon Keer is a world leading artist in the anamorphic street art. He has executed commissions in Europe, The United States, Mexico, The United Arabic Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, New Zealand, Australia and several Asian countries.

 A message seems to be present in his work. Current issues are reviewed, such as current environmental concerns and the liability of this world. Leon Keer is constantly aware of the playfulness and beauty versus the degradation around him, a contrast that he expresses and amplifies in his work and which he uses as a metaphor for live. His paintings reflect his thoughts, confronting the viewer with the diseased spirit of our times, visible decay counter-pointing a timeless longing for unspoiled beauty.

 During his career Leon Keer often presented his art by live-action-painting performances. His ability of performing as a street painter, lets him share the joy of painting with the public. The anamorphic paintings are temporary but the images are shared via social media all over the world. He says: ‘Every street art piece is unique and belongs to the street and its residents, the temporary fact about this art form strengthens its existence’.

Leon and our Maria came up with the theme for our project, TAKE TOMORROW BACK, and we are really looking forward to see what he will paint, because we know it is going to be magical. 

Spidertag is a street artist who works with reinterpreting geometry, abstraction and minimalism - recently symbolism - in the streets and rural spaces. At the end of 2015, he discovered the material that allowed him to take a more personal and unique step, artistically speaking: flexible cables powered by batteries. Here begins an adventure of researching and development that still continues. In June 2018, an old new dream is materialized. This time, not by chance but following a frenetic search, he finds a neon cable that allows him to make interactive and permanent murals. This new journey starts in Estarreja, Portugal, for Estau Festival, in the end of 2018 where he launches his Interactive Neon Murals # series - where people can play, actively participate and modify the mural with a remote control. Number 2 is presented in Santiago de Chile with Metro21 gallery followed by Hawaii for the Pow Wow Festival, Mural Festival in Canada, Pow Wow Worcester in the United States.

With Interactive Neon Mural #6 in Iisalmi, Finland, he continues the constant development by increasing and simplifying the interactive part allowing people to play, actively participate and modify parts of the mural (lights) through an APP.

Spidertag is an established artist within the global street art community and has worked with festivals and brands all over the world for the past 10 years almost. His unique style and interactive elements will most definitely add something extra to most festivals that seem to follow the same style/path all over the world.

Street artist Tim Timmey, or Tim Nedrup as he is actually called, was raised in Helsingborg and has had a spray can in his hand for more than half his life. From a young age Tim had a great desire to create with many skateboard ramps receiving his tag as he began to develop his way of expressing himself. Many recognize his art from playful characters to today's large colourful and realistic 3D cubed animals. You can also look for his special chicken that hides in many of his works. 

In Sweden, you will find paintings and sculptures by Tim in many places, including Helsingborg, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Ljusdal and Västervik.

It is not only paintings and murals that are created, but also ceramics where the “chicken” returns! There are also large sculptures that are built in different materials. In 2018, Tim took the step of leaving his job to fully invest in art.

[maa-too-ae] means 'origins' in the southern Sámi language.

The exhibition started as a collaboration with Gaaltije -the southern sami culture centre, november 2012 in Östersund. But the idea of a joint exhibition was born during a cup of coffee in Vännäs. At the time, the winter of 2010/2011, Michiel travelled around Sápmi for his project Lapponensis when he came across Anders work and decided to visit him.

Maadtoe has been kept on tour since start. Our aim is to exhibit the artwork, and to update and expand the project continuously. Creating new chapters and updating at each new location.

In the migrating exhibition Maadtoe, Michiel Brouwer and Anders Sunna raise questions about Swedish Sámi policy, racism and exploitation. Anders Sunna's paintings tell a deeply personal and painful sámi family history, about relocations and oppressions that have continued over 40 years in Tornedalen. In contrast, Michiel Brouwer's clinical photographs are powerful reminders of Sámi history. The exhibition aims to inform and to discuss the public about forgotten conflicts and includes a pedagogical program for highschool students.
 

Hälsinglands museum

Systrarna Öhman 

Ljusdals kommun

David was born in Aspen, Colorado where he lived until he graduated from high school.  Living in Aspen helped David develop a passion for art and the surrounding environment, and spurred his love for the outdoors. After high school David moved to Boulder, Colorado where he received his Bachelors Degree in Studio Art.  His pursuance of art and design has led him from Colorado to San Francisco to Portland, Oregon where he now resides.  In 2013 he met up with artist Blaine Fontana and began a rigorous internship for the next year. This experience gave him a huge insight into the professional art world and fostered his blossoming career into what it is today.

The goal of David’s work is to create environments that exist beyond the parameters of our physical world. His style blurs the boundaries between what should and shouldn’t exist together by bringing subjects into surroundings that they wouldn’t normally interact with. These scenes are often combined with graphic color and patterns in an effort to provide a harmony and balance to the opposing forces. His aim is to create new relationships between the subjects and the viewer.

David has done projects for many large companies such as Patagonia, WeWork, Wacom, and Radisson Hotels. He has also been featured in Contemporary Art print and online publications such as Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, American Art Collector and more.

Leon Keer is a world leading artist in the anamorphic street art. He has executed commissions in Europe, The United States, Mexico, The United Arabic Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, New Zealand, Australia and several Asian countries.

 A message seems to be present in his work. Current issues are reviewed, such as current environmental concerns and the livability of this world. Leon Keer is constantly aware of the playfulness and beauty versus the degradation around him, a contrast that he expresses and amplifies in his work and which he uses as a metaphor for live. His paintings reflect his thoughts, confronting the viewer with the diseased spirit of our times, visible decay counter-pointing a timeless longing for unspoiled beauty.

 During his career Leon Keer often presented his art by live-action-painting performances. His ability of performing as a street painter, lets him share the joy of painting with the public. The anamorphic paintings are temporary but the images are shared via social media all over the world. He says: ‘Every street art piece is unique and belongs to the street and its residents, the temporary fact about this art form strengthens its existence’.

We are happy to be able to bring him back to Ljusdal. His painting “Music Station” was a big success during our first exhibition in June 2018. 

Koz Dos is a Venezuelan graffiti writer who had his beginnings in his home town of Caracas. Passing first through the graffiti-writer, bombs and tags, he developed his technique into a representative and figurative style graffiti. 

The latter carrying him to study the image, the drawing, the color and different techniques, making his work more conceptual and symbolic. He created characters that bind the realistic with flat figures such as circles, triangles and lines. In his works the segments are created with flat color sectors which are completed with the addition of figures and backgrounds.

The mixture of two realities, in this case, human and nature, shows the confrontation between man and nature, the rational human, thoughtful and methodical against spontaneous nature. This is reflected in animals looking for a kind of coexistence, a harmony,

a unification, Man-Animal and vice versa.

This does not exist in real life creating a new dialogue with the viewer with the intention that the art, the graffiti should invoke questions from the viewer. 

Koz Dos has displayed his work at national and international exhibitions. One of his first international events was held in Ecuador. He later participated in other events in Latin America such as Colombia, Brazil and Chile. Outside of Latin America we can also find his large murals in Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and the United States. 

I have always created, it began when I was a child, my pursuit of life. Through creation I felt alive. The pursuit led me from drawings in the class room as a boy to graffiti in the streets as a teenager.

Then a few years ago I got sick and was in hospital for long periods where I lost a great deal of who I was. I got well in the end but the emptiness that formed within me was still there and I needed to find something that helped me to become myself again. Something that made me whole. I wanted to start creating again. I took the sketch blocks I had with me while in hospital and browsed through these sketches, they were almost cartoon like, but these sketches which I had created were my interpretation of Håkan Hellström's lyrics and songs that I had listened to every day to help me cope.

And that was where everything started, as a way back, to find myself and feel good. I never thought that it would go so far and become as big as it has become. I have taken one day at a time and continue to do what I feel good about, I have not a found reason to quit, why should I?

The motives and words are chosen with care, every person and word found in the pictures are there because they meant something special to me. Astrid's stories, Håkan's texts, Cornelis's lifestyle to name a few.

I am artist and designer from Minsk, Belarus. I create in dotwork and pointillism style, black and white and color graphics, street art, illustrations.

The main rule that I follow in my work is honesty and awareness that I am responsible before the audience. I believe that creative work is an extremely important part of human life, so it should be treated with care and intelligence. All my pictures  are a reflection of my inner world, my emotions, my life position and principles. I draw only what I sincerely believe in and find worth doing, even if it is not popular or not that common to say. Art has a strong influence on people, and the way it is depends on the authors and on those people who promote the objects of art to the public. Before creating a new work, I carefully think through the idea, the message and the artistic means by which I will get my point across. In my art, I always bring up some issues relevant both for modern society and for an individual. For this end, I mostly use well-known objects and give them a non-standard form and a symbolic meaning. Furthermore, I am trying to form and maintain my signature style in every work. To enhance the effect of my art pieces, I use a large format and carefully detail each work. In this case, a person is more likely to stay at work examining it and appreciating how much time and effort was invested in the picture. In addition, creating a new job, I always strive to make it better and more interesting than the previous one, thus developing my skills in the process of drawing.

The exhibitions I participated in: 

• Upfest street art festival, Bristol, UK, 2018; 

• Fomenar Prize, Jury prize, Barcelona (Spain), 2017; 

• Salon d’automne with Belgazprombank, Minsk (Belarus), 2017; 

• I’m Monet, I’m Shishkin, I’m Malevich, Minsk (Belarus), 2017; 

• Concorso per illustratori Tapirulan | XII edizione, Cremona (Italy), 2016; 

• Point, line, spot, Minsk (Belarus), 2015; 

• Artdiario, Rome (Italy), 2015; 

• DOSKI & KRASKI, Saint Petersburg (Russia), 2014

Tymon de Laat is a visual artist and muralist working and living in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The port city bristles with life and creativity, informing his unique urban contemporary art, as he literally leaves his mark upon the city itself. However, it is not just his hometown that is an essential part of his work, as de Laat’s work is greatly influenced by his deep love and appreciation for Latin-American, and particularly Mexican culture.

After graduating from the Willem de Kooning Academy as advertising art director in 2001, de Laat quickly grew disenchanted with the actual craft his education had trained him for. Unsure of his future, but craving more creative breadth and modes of expression, he decided to travel to South America. It turned out to be a year-long journey on which he did not just find answers, but a part of himself as well. Living on a relatively sparse travel budget, made him realize he didn’t actually need that much money to feel fulfilled. Rather, he found joy in his interaction with locals. 

When he eventually came back to Rotterdam, he could do little else but pay tribute to Latin America, the part of the world that gave him so many insights about how he saw himself, the world at large, and the art wanted to create. De Laat started painting murals and canvases, often based on his own photographs of the people he met during his travels. He exaggerates the natural lines in their faces, and fills the spaces that appear between those swirling lines with swaths of vivid color. The linework and color palette he applies in that way, are a means of translating his memories of Latin America to visual imagery. The food, the architecture, the clothes, and particularly his respect for the culture of indigenous peoples; it’s all in there, as de Laat transitions it over to enliven drab European concrete.

His sculptural work More Than Meets The Eye is all about connecting cultures as well, but unlike his painted work, takes his hometown as its vantage point. It represents the heritage of Rotterdam as Europe’s largest port city, with layers upon layers of brightly colored containers coming from all corners of the world. It’s that global interconnectedness that ultimately creates the fertile ground from which Rotterdam takes its own unique shape, exemplified in the growth atop this ever-expanding tower.

His portraits of Latin American people have recently grown to include new aspects as well. Creating visual compositions that frame them within other shapes, de Laat adds a layer of visual depth, while underscoring the fact that we are viewing them from across a divide. It forces us to realize there are other ways of life in this world of ours. But these figures also tend to partially move out of their framing shapes, implying that they are not here for our bemusement or study, but to genuinely converse and interact with us as peers. There may be a distance between us, both culturally and geographically, but we still inhabit the same small planet. De Laat’s work tells us that any division between us citizens of the world can be bridged, as long as we are willing to keep reaching across.

Nuno Viegas, also known as Metis, is a Portuguese artist born in Faro (1985) and raised in Quarteira. Founder of the art collective Policromia Crew, he started his artistic journey with graffiti in 1999. After completing his studies in Visual Arts at the University of Algarve he moved to Rotterdam in the Netherlands (2014) where he discovered a new artistic identity and began to develop his painting strongly influenced by graffiti. This hip-hop subculture has been the focal point of the artist's production and its greatest source of inspiration. Nuno presents us with a contrast between the visually aggressive reality of this subworld and his peaceful and clean representation in his works. The approach to this theme is a continuous tribute to all those who dedicate part of their lives to this culture, in search of moments, for almost nothing, in the heart of a society whose main objective is the quest for money and power.

 Amara Por Dios been living in London for the past four years and been decorating the streets ever since. 

Her style is recognizable with her vibrant colors, organic shapes, patterns and faces.
Inspired by the ancient civilizations and religous artifacts from all over the world. Amara brings her spiritual goddesses and creatures to life on the streets and in her paintings to watch and protect their surroundings. Her favourite tool is the spray can that she uses to create her big murals around the globe. We are extremely proud that Amara choose Norra Station for her only solo exhibition in 2018!

"I've always had these super-reaistic dreams ever since I was a kid. Dreams that takes me to different dimensions and worlds that are completely different from our planet.
Every night is like a journey through the universe.
One night I dreamed that I met an older man with gray long hair, he had feathers in his hair, bare chested, a shield on his back and a bow was hanging over his shoulder.
He looked a little lost, so I went up to him and asked if he needed any help. "I'm looking for Acahuempe" can you help me? He replied.
"Looking for Acahuempe" is an inner journey in the search for Acahuempe. Elements from different dreams interlaced as puzzles is what make this exhibition.
A long study of the subconscious and an unknown world, which I hope to get a step closer to.”

AMARA POR DIOS, OCTOBER 2018 

“Sugar-coated shock is Herr’s stock in trade” 

The Guardian

Working Under the pseudonym Herr Nilsson, after Pippi Longstocking’s pet monkey, the Stockholm based artist began his artistic endeavors by creating graffiti around Sweden. Nilsson is known to incorporate Disney imagery while combining satire, humor, and critique. Of significance, Snow White is the first full length animated Disney film that captures the idealized portrait of innocence while imbuing violence through weaponry such as guns.

His pantings include plenty of cartoon heroes, mostly known for their sweetness and innosense. He reminds us how evil can come from unexpected characters or associations. His works always manage to make us smile and he never looses his element of surprise!

“The Dark Princesses are a comment on violence, but they are also a comment to how we look upon good and bad in the world. Everybody expects a fairytale princess to always look good and behave well. If I was one of them I would revolt after a couple of days. And in my world they do,” says Nilsson

The deftness of his painting reveals his talent while the power of his imagery suggests a moralizing sub-text. Herr Nilsson received international media attention during 2011 – 2012 and was catapulted into the mainstream media after adorning the streets of Stockholm with his sarcastic wheat pasting and graffiti “Dark Princess” installation series in 2013. The series was met with a flurry of press coverage asking the simple question, “Who is this guy?” Coverage in the Huffington Post, The Daily Mail, The Guardian, The Vogue, Der Spiegel and other media led to additional speculation as to his identity.

Herr Nilsson made his entrance onto the art world’s stage at an extensive installation in conjunction with Art Miami 2013 and hosted by the Keszler Gallery of Manhattan and Southampton, NY. The artist created a unique graffiti piece on site at the fair and unveiled the first of his fine art canvas works along with a series of smaller edition prints.

Herr Nilsson is also represented by Mead Carney Fine Art in London and Porto Montenegro, Guy Hepner Gallery in New York and Gallery 21 in Tel Aviv.

‘Snow White Robbery’ from the ‘Dark Princesses’ series in Stockholm

Exhibitions:

2013 Art Miami, hosted by Keszler Gallery

2014 Los Angeles, Guy Hepner Gallery

2015 New York City, Castor Gallery

2015 Stockholm, Kvadrart

2015 Porto Montenegro, Mead Carney Fine Art

2016 South Hampton, New York, Keszler Gallery

2016 Stockholm, Kvadrart

2017 New York City, Guy Hepner Gallery

2017 London, Masters of Contemporary

2018 Stockholm, Wallery Gallery

2018 Tel Aviv, The Gallery 21

www.herrnilsson.me

Instagram: @nilsson_herr

www.facebook.com/herrNilssonStreetart

Sweet Toof recently took the opportunity to escape the stress of East London and moved to the tranquility of the Swedish countryside.

He began painting graffiti in 1986. Saving a little of his lunch money, he could buy cheap spray cans and paint at night. After many years painting along Regent's Canal and while living in his art studio, he began studying art at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. When his studies were completed he continued to paint graffiti and is known as a ”graffoholic”. He is a solo artist but also collaborates in the Burning Candy Crew.

Sweet Toof’s signature is big white teeth on pink gums.

In his work, Sweet Toof combines historical and current cultural references to create unconventional art that is both traditional and contemporary.

In 2011 Sweet Toof was selected as one of three cutting-edge artists to create original, alternative artwork for the London exhibition of Cirque du Soliel "Safewalls"art project.

He also had his international breakthrough in 2010-2011 when he was invited to several significant exhibitions and street art projects around the world with other well-known street art artists such as Banksy.

Sweet Toof has exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam and now in Ljusdal, Sweden.

The exhibition at Norra Station will show a selection of oil paintings, hand-painted ceramics and woodcut prints.

The exhibition runs until October, 28 2018.

www.sweettoof.com

www.sweettoof.bigcartel.com 

WD (Wild Drawing) was born and raised in Bali, Indonesia, and has degrees in Fine Arts and in Applied Arts. He started off as street artist in 2000 and has since then spent most of his time working in the streets, even though he never stopped working in his studio. He has carried out solo exhibitions and participated in group shows and graffiti/street art festivals in Asia, Europe and America. His East-West cultural background is combined in a unique way that makes his style so recognisable. He focuses on large-scale murals that realized with roller brush and spray paint. 

WD is always trying to interact with the spot where he is working, by incorporating various elements of it into his work, so that there is harmony between the mural and the spot where it was created. His work which is of realistic technique, often anamorphic, is influenced by comics, graphic novels and fantasy art while he's inspired by social phenomena, lifestyle, art or nature. 

What he loves about street art is the freedom of expression, the communication through his work with people and the chance he has to speak about the big issue of re-appropriation of the Public Space. These facts outweigh actually the ephemeral nature of his art. After all, if he was interested in making works that stand the test of time he would do canvas paintings only. Currently WD lives and works in Athens, Greece.

WD's exhibition will last until October 28, 2018.

Leon Keer is a world leading artist in the anamorphic street art. He has executed commissions in Europe, The United States, Mexico, The United Arabic Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, New Zealand, Australia and several Asian countries.

A message seems to be present in his work. Current issues are reviewed, such as current environmental concerns and the livability of this world. Leon Keer is constantly aware of the playfulness and beauty versus the degradation around him, a contrast that he expresses and amplifies in his work and which he uses as a metaphor for live. His paintings reflect his thoughts, confronting the viewer with the diseased spirit of our times, visible decay counter-pointing a timeless longing for unspoiled beauty.

During his career Leon Keer often presented his art by live-action-painting performances. His ability of performing as a street painter, lets him share the joy of painting with the public. The anamorphic paintings are temporary but the images are shared via social media all over the world. He says: ‘Every street art piece is unique and belongs to the street and its residents, the temporary fact about this artform strengthens its existence’.

Leon Keer's exhibition will last until October 28, 2018. 

Teg is a street artist from Bergen, Norway, who has emerged from the underground and the graffiti environment since 2003. He has developed his own abstract style, with signature elements like shedding of paint and organic bubbles. In 2014, the focus has been on traveling in Norway and internationally to spread his colorful artwork around the world. To spread commitment and solidarity in disadvantaged areas. 

https://www.instagram.com/teg.artworks/

https://www.facebook.com/Teg.artworks/

Victoria is a 29 year old professional artist living and working in Stockholm. She paints both murals and on canvas, but regardless of the medium and surface, monochrome or gray scale motifs are a red thread. 

Surrealistic and dreamy scenery meets an interpretation of graffiti characters. Victoria originally comes from Boden in the northern forests, and in her paintings one can often see typical northern motifs such as deer and lavendel. The paintings for Victoria's exhibition at Norra Station is painted under the theme of "Head among the clouds".

Vickan's exhibition will last until October 28, 2018. 

https://www.instagram.com/vickanart/