OPENING: ISSA SALLIANDER x DEN OF WOLVES

ISSA SALLIANDER
[Stockholm, Sweden, 1984]

The work of Salliander seeks to convey contrasting and even contradictory sensations, breaking the limits of figuration to reach a highly personal abstraction. In doing so, she creates absorbing pieces that reference a variety of themes, from pop culture and nature to works and themes from different artistic periods, such as the Renaissance and the Baroque. Her thick and vibrant oil brushstrokes depict subjects with both drama and humour, granting a duality in the interpretations of her narrative. 

Born in Sweden, Salliander has spent her life as a perpetual foreigner, constantly traveling since her childhood between Sweden, Asia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. This mix of cultures has provided her with an outsider’s perspective, a global vision forged by a diverse range of influences. This is reflected in her work with a constant exploration of dichotomies: East versus West, light versus darkness, the battle between good and evil. It is the tension between these contrasting points that most attracts her—a constant pursuit of the ambiguity faced by humanity in these times.

Within this ambiguity, the references and personal experiences often portrayed in her work find autonomy through double meanings, allowing for a free and unique interpretation by each viewer.

Issa Salliander holds an MFA from City & Guilds of London Art School. She has had solo exhibitions at Galeria Hilario Galguera in Mexico City, Galeria Kandlhofer in Vienna, Austria, and OSL Contemporary in Oslo, Norway. She has participated in several group exhibitions worldwide including Leo Gallery in Shanghai, the Kandlhofer Art Collective in Vienna, and Parafin Gallery in London. Salliander is also known for her notable artist collaboration project Virginia Sins with Natalie White, which has so far been exhibited in New York and Mexico City. Institutional exhibitions include Museo de Ciudad de
Queretaro. She is currently represented by Galeria Hilario Galguera, Mexico City and Madrid.