We are thrilled to announce our first exhibition featuring the works of Ylva Carlgren, an artist renowned for her atmospheric watercolor paintings. Born in 1984 in Luleå, Carlgren’s meticulous approach to layering color creates subtle shifts in light, evoking a sense of understated grandeur. Her deep exploration of material and technique is evident in every piece, offering a unique visual experience. Carlgren’s work has been showcased at esteemed venues such as Uppsala Konstmuseum and Göteborgs Konsthall. We invite you to join us in celebrating her exceptional talent at our gallery.
TOM REICHSTEIN contemporary is pleased to present the Swedish artist Ylva Carlgren in the exhibition "NOTHING BUT," where she explores her ongoing engagement with the concept of "nothingness" through new works. Carlgren traverses the delicate thresholds of materiality and absence, with exceptional technical finesse, manifesting the dynamic tension between presence and void with palpable intensity. Carlgren is widely recognised for her minimalist approach and contemplative exploration of painting. In her latest work, she continues to explore the concept of ‚nothingness' using a technique of applying and removing layers of
paint. This process creates a nuanced dialogue between visibility and invisibility, where the act of removal becomes not just subtraction but an integral aspect of the composition. The result is a striking interplay of visible brushstrokes, which enhances the dynamic relationship between presence and absence, form and formlessness. A defining element of the exhibition is a monumental wall-sized piece (Accelerating Frame, 2023, watercolor on paper, 5 parts, 250x150 cm) that encapsulates Carlgren's profound inquiry into materiality and spatial relations. This large-scale work exemplifies the evolution of her artistic journey while offering viewers an immersive experience that challenges conventional perceptions of space. In this piece, Carlgren's mastery of layering and removal is on full display, as she blends darkness and light to create a surface that possesses an intense, luminous quality.
A key inspiration for Carlgren's new direction is Japanese painter Toko Shinoda, whose work merges traditional Japanese calligraphy with abstract expressionism. In a parallel to Shinoda's approach, Carlgren seeks to create art that embodies her own tangible essence-art that captures "nothing but itself." Her paintings evoke a sense of spatial perception that transcends traditional perspective, relying instead on her keen understanding of the interplay between color and form. Carlgren's works invite a contemplative engagement with individual perception, challenging us to reconceptualize the idea of "nothing" not merely as absence, but as a fertile domain brimming with infinite potential. Thus, the painting itself becomes an object of contemplation, pointing to the silence and reflection that are crucial in
minimalist art. The exhibition "NOTHING BUT" marks Ylva Carlgren's first collaboration with Galerie Tom Reichstein contemporary, providing a deep insight into the work of an artist characterized by restraint, precision, and a keen awareness of the interplay between material and space. Through the subtle dialogue her works initiate with viewers and the delicate compositions she presents, the exhibition becomes a moment of silent inexplicability,
inviting us to explore the deeper dimension of "nothingness."
