This is artist Jonas Lipps' (b. 1979, Freiburg, Germany) first exhibition in Sweden. Jonas Lipps lives and works in Berlin, having previously exhibited at Tanya Leighton, Berlin, Josey, Norwich, Halle für Kunst, Lüneberg and Tokyo Arts and Space Hongo in Tokyo. Lipps' expression is a beautiful synthesis of the artist's own, very personal view of a pseudo-hyper realistic realm which he opposes with a playful, challenging aesthetic. His work sets the painting, as a medium, on its edge. Lipps’, skilled in his craft, through his method of painting subtly comments on current societal issues, along with historical, art historical, philosophical, and religious references. His very personal thoughts and musings are candidly communicated with each brush stroke.

The title of the exhibition is Bra staket. The title holds all meaning and at the same time poses a total enigma of information. Difficult to discern, the artist seems unencumbered by any limitations, toying with an entire scholastic entity of knowledge and wisdom. He knows, and shares, withholding nothing, but then cryptically exudes morsels of humor for us to taste, again, with each brushstroke, and in each title of work. This sense of the artists’ humor weight is light, and is only shaded by an over baring, ever so slight foreboding feeling of ‘what is next to happen’. A true storyteller through his painting, we are enticed to know and seek understanding of what the artist is communicating. He is whimsical, but also forceful in sharing. The beauty of each work is the obvious interpretational freedom the viewer garners, but perhaps even more importantly, what happens to our own experience of his paintings when we misunderstand. When the humor is lost in sadness, or vice versa. How history becomes present in certain works, and future anticipates the past in others. When interacting with Jonas Lipps’ work we are struck with wanting to turn the page, to know what happens in the next chapter, but not being able or allowed to do so. The final version of, or the ultimate knowledge we seek from each painting falls on us to decipher, and we aren’t not offered the luxury of guidance. Perhaps we don’t deserve it, and really should figure it all out on our own.

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