Ebba Johansson | Routines

Routines is Ebba Johansson’s first solo exhibition at Berg Gallery, in which she presentes a new series of paintings.

Ebba Johansson’s work is deeply rooted in her own and her family’s history. The primary source of inspiration is the family estate in Småland, a home that has been passed down through generations and thus holds many stories. To Johansson, this is a sanctuary where time stands still and where every object serve as a portal to the past.

”We are surrounded by objects that stir our memories. I am just as likely to paint a simple table as a beautiful fabric or a pair of hands. Personal memories nourishes my paintings. I think a lot about the experiences and sensations we carry with us in life – what we choose to keep and what we remember. How these objects affect us.”

In Johansson’s paintings, everyday objects such as ornaments, furniture, plants, and fabrics are elevated to something highly charged. Each object entails holds on or more stories, representing the deep personal connections we have to things around us. The meticulously rendered scenes range from dramatically cropped rooms and pure still lifes, often imbued with a deceptive calm.

The upcoming exhibition features a depiction of everyday life that is both quotidian and carefully choreographed. This tension is particularly strong in the portraits presented in the exhibition, where the simplicity of everyday life is intertwined with a staged presentation of the self. The title piece, Routines, depicts a young woman putting on headband – an act that seems both spontaneous and carefully considered. Next to her on the bed lies a set of pearl earrings and a scarf. In Johansson’s art, these objects are transformed into powerful symbols of how we perform our lives.

Ebba Johansson (b. 1994) lives and works in Pukeberg, Nybro. She is educated at Östra Grevie Folkhögskola and has been working as an artist since 2016. In recent years, she has presented several solo exhibitions in Sweden and participated in group exhibitions abroad, most recently at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen (2023) and at the Museum of National History, Frederiksberg Castle, Hilleröd (2023). Previous solo exhibitions include VIDA Museum & Konsthall, Borgholm (2022, 2020) and Teatergalleriet, Karlmar (2021). Her works are represented in the collections of Uppsala kommun, Nybro kommun, Region Kronoberg, and Region Kalmar. In addition, Johansson has created two public comissions in Linköping (2022) as well as Nybro (2022).