Capism Your investment is my playground

December 1, 2013

Oldies and Goldies published in Platform58-Issue 041-December 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — cap @ 7:16 pm

My latest triptych “Undisciplined tribe I-III” and some old portraits of Yangon Finest aka YSA crew was just published in the latest issue of the online art magazine Platform58. The magazine is managed by Mark Longbottom and I am very happy he gave me the opportunity to be part in the latest issue. Below you will see some screenshots of the pages where my art is represented but I suggest that you checking out the COMPLETE ISSUE – 041 – December 2013 since it contains a lot of great art and artist. Enjoy and thanks for having me!

P58 p36-37

p.36-37

P58 p38-39

p.38-39

P58 p40-41

p.40-41

I also found my good friend and fellow artist Deadline on page 19 with some of her amazing pieces from the streets of Kathmandu.

As for now I am building my permanent studio in order to get back to the lab and start painting. Stay tuned for updates. Respect.

 

November 10, 2013

“Mark my Words” in The Kathmandu Post

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — cap @ 6:10 pm

Some more words about my exhibition “Mark my Words” published in The Kathmandu Post on the 21st October 2013. Thanks for the support.

1383069_10151928841439557_1232466270_n

Printed version

KATHMANDU, OCT 21 –

Stories of everyday struggles in a rapidly changing society are soon to come to the fore in an explosion of innovative visual art, courtesy of Casper Johansson aka Cap, at the Image Ark Gallery in Patan starting October 27. Cap, an artist from Sweden, will be presenting his distinctive and thought-provoking artworks under the title Mark my words, which will comprise illustrated conversations wherein images words and symbols coalesce in new and unexpected ways, and where, as the curators describe, the ‘perception of the image’ will come in deliberate conflict with the message.

Cap, who has a background in graffiti, had been living and working in Myanmar since 2007 until this year, and in that time, had had the chance to observe the country’s transformation in various spheres. His work therefore documents and comments on contemporary life in Myanmar, through a range of colours, shapes and styles rooted in graffiti. “Contradictions, pronounced colouring and sharp outlines; using the urban landscape as a point of departure I want my art to stir up questions with the audience,” the artist states on his website.

It is this very visual debate, “a sphere between private and public, assumed truth and the untold, processed and encapsulated in the magnetism of art”, that Mark my words will aim to put forth for viewers in Nepal.

 

The exhibition will

continue at Image Ark until October 29

Kathmandu post

Online version

“Mark my Words” in Himalayan Times

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — cap @ 5:58 pm

Here are some sweet words about my exhibition “Mark my words” at Image Ark gallery published in The Himalayan Times. Thank you very much for the support and for showing interest in my art. The complete article can be found here or read it below.  The exhibition is open until 29th of November 2013, Enjoy!

Himalayan times

 

KATHMANDU: When writers put together words, readers gain knowledge while understanding the writer’s perspective. Nevertheless, playing with words and creating painting out of the words surpass the ordinary thinking of creating art. Working with words on a sheet of paper using the basic technique of stencil, Casper Johansson aka Cap from Sweden has outshone himself as an artist.

And the evidence is his exhibition ‘Mark My Words’ at Image Ark Gallery, Kulimha Tole, Patan that began on October 27. Here, you can witness portraits of children, young people, Bay of Bengal and more, mainly in black-and-white or in colours like blue, yellow, and red.

A quick look at those works will give you an impression that they are all portraits. But as you observe them, you will start noticing words like ‘food’, ‘freedom’, ‘screen’, ‘escape’ and more which together bring out the ‘whole picture’ of these portraits.

Cap explains, “I love words. Words and language for me is power. If you can control them, it means you can gain knowledge and power. As an artist, I can’t write as writing doesn’t work for me. Still I love words. So, I use them in my paintings to make images out of words.”

In one of his works ‘Shipped Away’, Cap has painted an image of a young boy lying calmly on a bamboo raft where a packet of cigarette and a spray can are scattered. It is the portrait of local graffiti artist, who despite having a desire create artwork, has less chances of expressing himself due to political and economical situation around him.

Another is a series of paintings that narrates story of how the Internet is being used in Burma. He has used interesting metaphors like pirate, ship, wires, rat and more that are preventing people from accessing the Internet and information.

His artworks have contradictions — the portraits look clam and resilient but the message that he is conveying is revolutionary. The messages urge people to fight for their rights, which symbolises struggle. Some of the experiences required to create such works were gathered during his six years’ stay in Burma.

The exhibition is on till November 29.

 

The newspaper also published a picture of my new triptic piece titled “Undisciplined tribe”, 2013, Ink on paper, 3 x 56 x 76 cm

Undisciplined-tribe-triptic2

June 19, 2013

Illustration for BRAND magazine

Illustration Brand_På spaning efter den stad som flytt copy

Today I got the printed version of the Brand magazine where one of my illustrations was published. My illustration was made with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (SC5). Since the article mentioned SimCity I decided to use a street view screenshot from the game as background. For the foreground I used a photo of my friends from one of our days we´re out walking in the woods. Since the article itself talks about new urbanism and city planning I wanted to capture a sense of people exploring their city that is developing and expanding (and excluding) beyond the control of its own population. Working with a quite short notice I am very satisfied with the result. If you are interested in using me for illustrations and graphic design work do not hesitate to contact me at cap@capism.se

The illustration was published in Tidningen Brand, No 2, 2013, p.7 and 31.

Brand is a Swedish anarchist magazine and have been published continuously since 1898. To read, learn more and subscribe visit their website http://tidningenbrand.se/

Brand inside

Brand Magazine, No 2, 2013 p.31

Brand front

Brand cover page (No 2. 2013)

Brand

sketching

 

 

March 31, 2013

“Israel and Palestine” published online

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — cap @ 1:53 am

This piece titled “Israel and Palestine” was just published on the online art site called Scene360/Illusion. Illusion is in their on words “The Illusion site is dedicated to featuring the most amazing creations in art, design, photography, technology and video. It displays projects of individuals with astonishing skills and creativity. From intricately cut paper art to live grass graffiti—one thing is certain, you will often think “WOW!””

The painting itself is actually part of a triptych and is about being a child playing war games in a conflict area. It portray myself wearing a traditional Burmese lungyi aiming with a toy gun made of bamboo. The idea came up when I was travelling in Karen state, Myanmar. An area that have been suffering from one of the longest ongoing civil wars in the world. During my travel I came across a lot of bamboo toy guns being sold in the streets and all I could think of was how it would actually be like being a child raised by war. Especially since when I was a child, when we played, it was always us versus them. Cowboys vs Indians. Police vs Thieves.

Israel and Palestine, 2011, Ink on paper, 76 X 56

The two other pieces of the triptych was not published on the Scenec360 site but is shown below.

Police and Thieves, 2011, ink on paper, 56 X 76

Cowboys and Indians, 2011, ink on paper, 56 X 76

November 14, 2012

Linked

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — cap @ 1:40 pm

Just found out that some om my latest paintings was published at Artonomy. Don’t know much about the blog but I’m always happy when someone showing interest in my work. Thank you Helen Aldous for the support and follow her on twitter @artonomyblog

The text was taken from my artistic statement when I opened my website

Also a Big Up to my lovely Italian couple that bought some of my works this morning. Your investment is my playground

Detail of Cardialgia

Cardialgia, 2012

Because I’m worth it, 2012

October 16, 2012

Past week in pictures

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — cap @ 12:54 pm

I love stickers, especially where they can grow old. Have you seen this on? Do you know the location? (clue: It is Tuesday and I heading down to this place when I am done with the writing)

I delivered my latest painting “U.S. Airmail” the other day. It seems that it will hang next to a Vietnamese propaganda poster and “Breaking Silence” print signed yours truly! thanks for the support once again.

Public and private spaces are shrinking with time, they call it globalization I heard. Today I was working on my representation making business cards in Studio Duelling Banjos (portable version 3.0)

SmileEvilsmile is a good friend of mine. I like him for many reasons but maybe most because he keeps it simple!

I was also published in TuckMagazine with five of my paintings. The text is either written by a computer or a poet on Kitamine. This is what they said about me and my work:

Casper ‘Cap’ Johansson’s art sparkles in a world blurred by blindness. Lost in a never ending prayer of preached progress the voiceless scream in thought against a modernity choking, each of the artist’s pieces bleeding feeling; the passion of belief breathing in a repressed society.

Envious of dream the fight against continues as, in anonymity’s mask, a being bleeds from believing; androgynous to a self the cell society breeds in. Heat freezes in a timed mind as captured in light the image of today’s pensive soul is painted. The body illuminates in intensity, a burning truth through fear piercing, the artist in rich starkness showing life smothered from breathing. Purity weeps in progress painted, mourning life dead in living.

In darkness light through expression explodes. Thoughts run away from trained feelings, an everyday defiance of the mind as in the heart the head beats. To another a differing eye, an opinion caught in fixed misunderstandings as meaning tails off in despair. Johansson delights in creating a future present, the pattern of thought visible to eyes open, each alive in individual definition.

Energy defies fate as blind minds fall from a waiting sky, the artist skilfully placing the viewer in the centre of a suffocating everyday. Set amidst a faceless city representing any and everywhere breathing, nature rebels in being, bleeding colour to the heart of human grieving. In a memorised present, withering life spins against the control it dies from, society repressed in an over populated ideal as collected breath is held from a watching world.

Concealed in disbelief a generation loses sight from a mind mechanical in thought. Tied to ticking eyes the body hides from prying, a blank staring back at an overwhelming world, the artist emphasising humanity’s plight against an improvement created. Faith fights for the glint in each, an indirection sought in the self to an expressive new as, limited by design, technology burns to a soul breathing.

Fiery waves adorn a canvas dark in thought, Johansson lighting an eye’s imagination to minds expanding, the rich white of light sheltering truths; a skin to the blood of fated living. Alive in invention the illusion of believing bleeds to another day blind as coloured from soul, the artist’s heart shines through.

Seeking truth in justice Johansson’s art continues to evolve, his impression of humanity’s struggle against itself profound and piercing.

#Mugshot #lesshairthen

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