Johannes Nielsen

Open Ocean

2023

Johannes Nielsen (b.1979) was born in Falkenberg, Sweden. He is an artist who uses bronze sculpture to celebrate life and its beauty. He believes that sculptures of the human body can “reveal the inner spirit and emotions as well as its external physical appearance.” He uses the idea of the material and immaterial of human existence and portrays them in his works through a lively play with positive and negative space. The figures in his sculptures lack facial expression. However, the viewers are clearly able to feel the emotions that the artist is trying to convey. Something about the lack of material and expression allows the works to linger in people’s minds. Nielsen states that his sculptures are “a combination of traditional and contemporary esthetics and methods that express” his personal vision of reality. The artist uses his own body to 3D scan, which will be used as a base to sculpt a virtual model. The bronze and metal that he uses is casted once he has the mould. Working with metal requires a lot of attention as well as technical and mechanical troubleshooting. However it is also one of the few materials that can give the sense of organic quality, while being industrial and sturdy. Johannes Nielsen, in 2001 enrolled in the Lund’s Art School, and moved to Dublin in 2003 to become the assistant to sculptor Patrick O’Reilly, where he honed his sculptural practice. He has participated and showcased his works in several art fairs and exhibitions in Europe, US, and Asia. His works are now a part of public and private collections all over the globe. He is based in and continues his artistic practice with his wife, daughter, and son in Beijing, China.