Johan Röing | namnlös

Johan Röing began working with wood at an early age, using tools like chainsaws and angle grinders to process his sculptures. His method is characterized by intuition and adaptability, as he often brings together seemingly unrelated elements and repurposes existing works in a continuous cycle of reuse. Each movement and cut made with the chainsaw presents new possibilities, allowing the original idea to change as the process unfolds.

While studying at the Staatliche Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf – one of the most prominent art institutions of the postwar era – Röing was introduced to the ideas of postmodernism, which had a strong influence on his practice. With ease, he blends various influences and expressions: the rough handling of materials typical of neoexpressionism, the formalist rigor of constructivism, and the narrative richness of folk art. His visual language is deliberately simplified, with details stripped down to their most fundamental forms. The painted surfaces of his works often bear traces of the tools he used, providing a direct and unfiltered sense of the creative process.

In his second exhibition at Berg Gallery, Röing presents a series of sculptures that traverse the terrains of figuration and abstraction. The works encompass both human forms and more anthropomorphic abstract compositions, each imbued with an unmistakable presence. A recurring motif in the exhibition is the crystalline or prism-like form, which Röing brings to life through the contrasting materials of wood and glass. His ongoing collaboration with Kosta Boda has been integral to his exploration of glass, allowing him to work closely with the factory’s skilled artisans.

Johan Röing (b. 1958, Malmö) grew up in Germany and studied at the Staatliche Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf between 1979–1986, with professors such as Tony Cragg and Irmin Kamp. In 1996, he returned to Sweden and now lives in Fuglie, south of Malmö. Previous solo and duo exhibitions include Krognoshuset, Lund (2023), Dorothée Nilsson Gallery, Berlin (2021), Moderna Museet, Malmö (2019), Tegnérmuseet, Lund (2016), Ystads Konstmuseum (2008), and Julia Stoschek Foundation, Düsseldorf (2007). His works have also been included in group shows at Galleri Arnstedt, Östra Karup (2024), Galerie Petra Rinck, Düsseldorf (2018), Skissernas Museum, Lund (2009), Signal – Center for Contemporary Art, Malmö (2008), Kunsthalle Düsseldorf (2006), and Malmö Konsthall (2004), to name a few. Röing is represented in the collections of Moderna Museet, Skissernas Museum, Borås Konstmuseum, and Public Art Agency Sweden, among others.