MARTIN WICKSTRÖM   LAST SONG (BASED ON TRUE EVENTS)

Stockholm, August 24–September 23, 2023

GSA Gallery is pleased to present Martin Wickström’s second solo exhibition together with the gallery. In the exhibition Last Song (Based on True Events), new works are showcased.

Born and raised in Finspång, Wickström has gained international recognition for his paintings and installations that explore profound themes such as identity, memory, and human relations. By applying various techniques and materials, primarily painting but also sculptural objects, he creates intricate and multidimensional works that challenge the viewer. Using different materials, light, and sound, he crafts atmospherically immersive spaces. These installations deepen the themes that permeate his paintings and offer the viewer a physical and emotional experience.

With precision and confident brushstrokes, Wickström manages to create remarkable paintings that initially deceive the eye with their photographic realism. Upon closer examination, the artistry of the painting becomes apparent; one can observe and follow each brushstroke in this incredibly refined and skillfully crafted body of work. His sense of colour and composition is distinctive, and his choice of values can closely evoke the expressive nature of pop art.

The execution of this type of exhibition proceeds relatively quickly for Wickström. However, the thought process behind his exhibitions is longer and more intricate. The groundwork for this exhibition began two years ago when Wickström, in collaboration with the gallery, set the exhibition dates. Since then, a lot has happened in Wickström’s life – he recently lost his mother, and he has become a grandfather. Traces of these two life events can be perceived in the exhibition.

Musician and producer Per Hägglund is responsible for the musical soundtrack of the exhibition.

Martin Wickström (b. 1957 in Finspång) lives and works in Stockholm. Educated at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, 1982-87. Has since his debut in Stockholm in 1983 exhibited regularly in galleries and institutions both in Sweden and around the world. His works are well represented in public and private collections: Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Göteborgs Konstmuseum, EMMA-Espoo Moderna Konstmuseum and Malmö Konstmuseum, among others.

Works in the exhibition: