Johan Nobell’s paintings tend to depict desolate landscapes painted in a quasi-cartoon style. Utilizing vivid colors he pulls one into his seemingly definable narratives. Upon closer inspection, exactly what is going on proves to be more elusive. For his new paintings Nobel has defined a place in history—he has used historical details to construct a world where he can inhabit stories about people and their behavior.

Nobell graduated from Valand University of Art (Gothenburg, Sweden) in 1994. He was an artist-in-residence at New York’s International Studio and Curatorial Program (2000-01) and has recently exhibited his work in Sweden, Denmark, and elsewhere. He currently lives in Stockholm.