Salliander's work seeks to convey contrasting and even contradictory sensations, breaking the limits of figuration to reach a very personal abstraction. She creates absorbing works that reference a variety of themes, from pop culture and nature, to works and subjects from different artistic periods, for example, the renaissance and baroque. Her thick, vivid oil brushstrokes portray subjects with drama and humor, granting a duality in the interpretations of her narrative.
Read MoreBorn in Sweden, Salliander has spent her life as an eternal foreigner, traveling constantly since childhood between Sweden, Vietnam, China, the United States, the United Kingdom and Mexico. This mix of cultures has given her an outsider's perspective on life, a global vision forged by a diverse range of influences. This translates into her work with a constant exploration of dichotomies: east versus west, good versus evil, light versus darkness. The tension between these contrasting points is what most appeals to her, a constant search for the ambiguity with which humanity is confronted in current times.
It is within this ambiguity that the references and personal experiences that are often portrayed in her work find an autonomy through double meanings, allowing for a free and unique interpretation in each viewer.
Issa Salliander has an MFA from City & Guilds of London Art School. She has had solo exhibitions at Galeria Kandlhofer, Vienna, Austria; and OSL Contemporary, Oslo, Norway. She has participated in group exhibitions such as Faces at Leo Gallery, Shanghai; Kandlhofer Art Collective, Vienna; and Parafin Gallery, London.
Text courtesy Galeria Hilario Galguera.
