Contemporary artist Jolanta Johnsson

About me – contemporary artist

I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where I specialized in graphics. I have since then worked as a freelancing artist. Painting and drawing are the techniques that dominate my work. I create figurative compositions and landscapes. Through symbolic representations, I seek to portray existential questions important for a contemporary artist. I focus on the reality that I am surrounded by and the natural world around me, i.e. The existence of the “modern man” living in an era of multidimensional change.
The second central theme of my work is landscapes. I interpret the strong emotions that my surroundings, and especially nature, evoke. My compositions sometimes preserve observed orders and divisions. Often, however, the painting leads me to more abstract grounds. In my work on landscapes, the need to simplify and summarize dominates, but at the same time, I work with different textures to create a living image. I don’t strive to work in a special style. Life experiences are my guide and propose new topics.

I am living in Sweden, in a beautiful village Malexander, located on lakes and surrounded by forests. This is where I have my Johnsson studio – for painting and for doing printed graphics. These are two separate rooms. In one the central place is occupied by an easel, in the other by a graphic press. These are my Jolanta interiors.

Portraits as a way to talk about people

Portraits take a special place in my work. Through the face, I seek to express the truth about the human being, whatever that might mean.
Painting occupies the most place in my work. However, the graphics remind you of yourself. I put away the brushes and go to the graphic studio. I like working with traditional techniques, especially the linocut technique. But I am also looking for unusual traces, creating matrices from various materials. Graphics is searching. Although the graphics allow reproduction, it is not the most important for me. I print small editions.

Graphic is everlasting 

Graphic print on good paper has an element of nobility and unique beauty.
I believe that a hand-made graphic print preserves as a way of visual art expression. Computer techniques, which are already more widely used by contemporary artists, will not dominate traditional methods.

Teaching

I like to pass on my experience to younger artists. Working at the international Vistula University in Warsaw in the Graphics Department gives me this opportunity. I teach art and design graphics to students from different countries. I promote their diplomas. Watching the artistic development of contemporary young people gives me great satisfaction.