Karl Ullger in Berlin exhibition with artist collective Cane-Yo

Artist Karl Ullger’s works will be exhibited in a Berlin gallery alongside over 40 artists organised under global artist collective Cane-Yo.

The exhibition, set to be held at Anders Galerie in Berlin, is called ‘Running with Scissors’ and will open from Thursday to Sunday this week.

The exhibition includes five invited Berlin artists together with around 40 members of Cane-Yo, and some 200 artworks have been selected to be showcased at the gallery.

This is the collective’s first large-scale exhibition in Berlin, but Mr Ullger has previously exhibited with the collective in Belgium, London, and Gibraltar.

Six of his pieces were selected for this exhibition in Berlin, which he is set to visit this week.

The collective interacts online and Mr Ullger is looking forward to meeting up with the artists and seeing his artworks alongside theirs.

From conversations about process and technique to the journey of being an artist, Mr Ullger described how these meet-ups give artists an opportunity to learn, exchange ideas and be inspired in unexpected ways.

He mentioned meeting with artists Justa Pranevictius and Alf Sims previously and how it is an honour to have his artworks hang alongside these artists in this exhibition.

“Berlin has such a strong and diverse art scene, so it’ll be exciting to see how the work is received there and to engage with a new audience. And especially exhibiting in a very popular area of Berlin, Potsdamer Platz,” Mr Ullger said.

“Equally, it’s the atmosphere, the conversations, the exchange of ideas, and just being surrounded by so many creative people in one place again. That’s always a highlight.”

Taking part in these exhibitions has been incredibly rewarding for Mr Ullger on a personal and artistic level.

He described how each exhibition has its own energy, but what remains constant is the sense of community within Cane-Yo.

“Being part of a collective that started online and has grown into these international exhibitions is quite unique,” he said.

“It’s allowed me to not only show my work in different countries but also to continuously evolve as an artist through exposure to so many different styles and approaches.”

“Every show pushes you a bit further whether that’s in how you present your work, how you think about it, or how you connect with an audience. And most importantly supporting fellow artists.”

Mr Ullger’s figurative pieces were selected for this exhibition with a strong emphasis on portraiture and narrative within the works.

The pieces combine elements of scenes, memory, and digital influence and, in his works, Mr Ullger is interested in translating fleeting, everyday moments into something more permanent through oil painting.

He described how the works feel like a progression and are more confident in their composition and colour.

“I’ve allowed myself to be a bit more experimental in how I approach layering and texture, especially with the piece titled ‘The Quiet Inferno’, which is very much tackling the taboo of male mental health,” Mr Ullger said.

There are three new pieces that have never been exhibited before, which are The Baker, Summer Lovin’ and Silk & Sacrifice which have been created specifically for this show.

For Mr Ullger, Silk & Sacrifice is a painting that juxtaposes innocence, vulnerability and sacrifice through a carefully constructed visual tension between the human figure and the calf.

Two further works selected were ‘Smoke’ and ‘Cold One’, which Mr Ullger said are more uncharacteristic.

For ‘Cold One’ he pays a contemporary tribute to ‘La Nevera Nueva’ (The new Refrigerator) by the master, Antonio Lopez Garcia.

“I have always wanted to produce my own contemporary version of ‘a fridge’ and here is my battle of greens and yellow values on what is a fridge full of beer and titled ‘Cold One’,” he said.

Mr Ullger added that it was been pleasure to work with Anders Galerie Art curator, Jose Aguad.

“A truly professional individual to work with and a special mention needs to go to Peter Salmi for our very own Cane-Yo correspondent and internal curator,” Mr Ullger said.

“Without these guys the exhibition would have still been an idea in a sketchbook.”

Mr Aguad told the Chronicle he selected around 200 artworks from a wide range of artists showcasing the diversity of Cane-Yo and its members.

He said the idea for the exhibition ‘Running with Scissors’ is a metaphor for a reckless action and a transgression of norms.

“In this sense, the title engages with a sense of art as a space of tension, where the uncertain and the potentially dangerous form an essential part of creativity,” Mr Aguad said.

He added organising the exhibition was a challenge with so many artists from across the globe, with transporting the artworks an added challenge meaning that works have also been selected to due these logistics.

The exhibition has also been curated by themes such as domesticity, urban culture, and post-internet aesthetics to create a coherent space.

Mr Aguad said it has been an enriching experience to work with the artists for this exhibition.

He added that the artworks are a reflection on the everyday, addressing universal themes such as affection, loss or melancholy, and have been deeply influenced by digital culture.

Mr Aguad selected six of My Ullger’s pieces for this Berlin exhibition, and described how the work is distinguished by his ability to construct evocative atmospheres from seemingly everyday scenes.

“His handling of light and shadow creates compositions of great subtlety, where the intimate intertwines with the enigmatic,” Mr Aguad said.

“In Sommer Lovin, for example, he presents a woman enveloped in golden light, likely from a sunset, generating an intimate and warm feeling, suggesting a moment suspended in time.”

“In Smoke, another female figure, covered with a hood, holds a cigarette above her head in a more restrained and dark atmosphere, where her presence is defined through subtle flashes of light on her body and clothing.”

Mr Aguad said The Quiet Inferno, a prominent and award-winning work, addresses a still-taboo subject: male mental health.

“In it, three male figures (two standing on either side and one seated in the center) appear in a dreamlike scene,” Mr Aguad said.

“The central figure is delineated with brushstrokes in neon reds and oranges, which contrast intensely with the restrained grey palette of the rest of the composition, accentuating the scene's emotional weight.”

The exhibition opens this Thursday at the Anders Galerie in Berlin.