Dea Svensson | Läka fel
We are pleased to present Dea Svensson’s third solo exhibition at the gallery, titled Läka fel (Mismending).
As in previous exhibitions, Svensson invites us into a world in which reality, dreams, and myths seem to coexist. For a little over two decades, he has devoted himself to the medium of drawing. Working exclusively with ink on paper, he employs techniques such as cross-hatching and stippling, using thousands of fine lines and dots to create contrast, shadow, and depth. Seen up close, the intricacy and precision of his linework reveal the physical labour behind each millimeter of ink.
The exhibition brings together motifs from the artist’s childhood with details from everyday life, as well as dreamlike scenarios and images with symbolic meaning. The sense of comfort and nostalgia evoked by the former is contrasted with a series of darker, surreal images. Winged maple seeds swarm like moths towards a fading light, a tangle of intersecting branches takes on the shape of slithering snakes, and dark pine trees stand out against a dense landscape.
Together, these works and their contrasting moods reflect something fundamental about the human experience. As the title suggests, the exhibition is, on a personal level, concerned with healing. But by moving between the private and the universal, Svensson also explores a duality inherent in life: the coexistence of pain and relief, vulnerability and resilience.
A central part of the exhibition is the series of drawings Drawn as if by Moonlight, made with white ink on white paper. The images become visible only under certain lighting conditions and from certain angles. From a distance, the paper may appear blank, but up close, the motifs slowly emerge from the white. These works call for a particular kind of attention and the viewer is invited to position themselves close to the drawing, close to the hand that once traced these lines. Just as the moon becomes visible only when it reflects the sunlight, these images reveal themselves only to those who pause and let their gaze linger.
Dea Svensson (b. 1980, Eringsboda) holds an MFA from Malmö Art Academy (2005–2010). Previous solo exhibitions include Berg Gallery (2024, 2021), Ronneby Konsthall (2018), and Karlskrona Konsthall (2013). Notable group exhibition venues include Teckningsmuseet, Laholm (2025), Ronneby Konsthall (2024), and Kalmar Konstmuseum (2018). His works are represented in the collections of Teckningsmuseet (Laholm), Region Skåne, Västra Götalandsregionen, Region Halland, Region Blekinge, and Region Kalmar. In recent years, Svensson has been awarded grants from Aase & Richard Björklund's Fund / Malmö Konstmuseum (2025), The Swedish Arts Grants Committee and Malmö Stad (both 2023). In 2008, Svensson was shortlisted for the Bror Hjorth Association's Scholarship.
