Johan Wahlstrom Interview

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your approach to art?

I have known since a very early age that I wanted to become an artist. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother on my mother’s side who was a professional artist, and she influenced me a lot.

How did your childhood spent in Stockholm deepen your artistic sensibilities?

It’s hard to pinpoint a certain period in my life since it’s all linked together.

Who were your mentors early on in your career?

My grandmother when I grew up and then the Swedish Artist Lennart Nystrom and the English artist Colin Smith.

Which medium or materials do you like working with the most?

Urethane that I mix with color pigments creating my own paint. I primarily paint on canvas.

What attracted you to New York City?

The energy, the people, the art world and the fact that I believe it’s the best city in the world to pursue an art career.

How has “Social Life” impacted the creation of your work? What themes would you say you work with?

I paint about today’s society, and I find an endless flow of inspiration from reading/watching the news, meeting people, traveling, and observing our environment every day.

Also, my work sometimes plays with the relationship between us and the urban environment; it creates a relationship with the actual political landscape. For example, my series from 2016, “Aliens With Extraordinary Abilities,” and my series, “Social Life” from 2017-2018, highlight the question, are we more lonely today even though we are connected through the internet?