Daniel EKTA Götesson | Utsikt för imorgon kväll

We are pleased to present Daniel EKTA Götesson’s second solo exhibition at Berg Gallery, titled Utsikt för imorgon kväll.

Rooted in graffiti culture, EKTA’s work spans across multiple mediums and artistic expressions – paintings, drawings, collages, murals and sculptures – all united by his distinct visual style, characterized by a sense of playfulness, energy, and a cryptic visual language filled with symbolism. He likes to emphasize the inherent logic and narrative aspects of the painted image, and therefore resists any clear explanation of his work. ”If I could explain it in words, then the images would be unnecessary. I could write notes instead of making pictures.”

Though stylistically diverse, EKTA’s paintings and collages share certain characteristics: their structures consist of abstract compositions and geometric shapes evoking architectural forms, and the pictorial space often appears flattened and two-dimensional. His oil pastel on paper collages exhibit a dynamic interplay of color, figures, and forms, while the oil paintings feature a more muted color palette and a somewhat more structured, spatial quality.

In the exhibition, he also introduces a new series of sculptures crafted from ceramics and wood. Working in ceramics was initially a way for the artist to create three-dimensional references for his paintings, but it has since evolved into a practice of its own. Like the archaic wooden figures – lined up in quiet anticipation – the ceramic pieces seem to have stepped directly out of his images.

Daniel Götesson (b. 1978), also known as EKTA, is based in Gothenburg. He has previously studied animation, graphic design, and holds a BFA in Illustration from London College of Communication (2001–2004). His work has been exhibited extensively in Sweden and across Europe, and has been published in countless art books and magazines such as The New York Times, Juxtapoz Magazine and Vanity Fair. Recent solo and group exhibition venues include Alice Gallery, Brussels (2023, 2020, 2018), Göteborgs Konsthall, Gothenburg (2023), Berg Gallery, Stockholm (2022), Galerie Slika, Lyon (2022, 2020, 2019), Paper Positions, Berlin (2022), Market Art Fair, Liljevalchs, Stockholm (2021), Katrineholms Konsthall, Katrineholm (2019), Mini Galerie, Amsterdam (2018), and Ronneby Konsthall, Ronneby (2017). EKTA's murals and public works can be found in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Poland, England, and Norway.