Photo by Malin Bengts
My work begins with a word.
In the Writing series, I write by hand — single words, short aphoristic texts — in pastel and colored pencil on handmade cotton rag paper. The texts are readable, direct, unfiltered. A word like STILL or ELSEWHERE carries its own weight; isolated on paper, it begins to argue with its surroundings. I'm interested in that friction — what a familiar word does when it has to stand alone.
Script moves in the opposite direction. The marks resemble writing but belong to no language. It is gesture without translation — what remains of writing when meaning is removed: rhythm, pressure, the trace of a hand.
Between the two series sits the same question: how little is needed for a mark to speak.
I write by hand because handwriting cannot be impersonal. Every line is a decision I have to stand behind.
Bio
Johnny Ramstedt has exhibited internationally since 1999, including Volta Art Fair Basel and group exhibitions in Miami, New York, and London. His work is held in private and corporate collections in Finland and internationally.
For inquiries: jr@johnnyramstedt.com