STUTTGART · Emeli Theander’s paintings, symbolist in style, emerges in the liminal regions between aesthetic appearance and the uncanny. Her spiritual beings cast in sombre, dreamlike settings make her paintings appear vague and illusory, relishing in horror and dread. The title of her exhibition is an orthonological term referring to lost birds that unexpectedly appear far away from their native territory. Mainly thrown off course by storms, they become erring guests. Birds are a stock component in Emeli Theander’s repertoire of motifs, a kind of key for decoding her works. In many cultures, birds have a symbolic significance; messengers between worlds, they are symbols of luck or bad luck, freedom or wisdom. In Theander’s artistic world, however, they have an important role to play – they are the connecting link to the realm of spirits in her paintings.

Emeli was the first artist we sent from PLATOON KUNSHALLE Berlin to PLATOON KUNSHALLE Seoul back in August 2010. Following on from her 6 month residency there, Emeli's solo exhibition in Seoul titled 'Gwishin Birds Sanctuary' captivated us with her surreal  paintings and illustrations.

Emeli Theander (born in Gothenburg in 1984) studied at Berlin University of the Arts under Valérie Favre. After participating in exhibitions in Sweden, Great Britain, Denmark and Germany, she already presented a large solo show in Seoul in 2010. This year, Merkel Collection & Foundation honoures her with the promotional prize in support of young painters.