Author name: Odalisque

Orchestrated Characters: Raghav Babbar’s Solo Exhibition at Larsen Warner Gallery text Natalia Muntean Stockholm’s Larsen Warner Gallery presents Orchestrated Characters, a solo exhibition by British Indian painter Raghav Babbar, an emerging talent in contemporary art. Babbar’s work captures ordinary people and everyday moments with a depth that invites the viewer to pause and reflect. “He works on several paintings at the same time,” explains Darren Warner, curator of the show and director of Larsen Warner Gallery. “This is partly due to the heavy layers and detailed strokes that require drying time, but also because he needs time to reflect on his subjects, capturing their emotional depth and intricacies.” Drawing inspiration from films, personal photographs, and memories, Babbar’s paintings explore common yet often overlooked moments in life, while conveying emotion through rich, textured layers of oil paint. With a technique reminiscent of Lucian Freud, Babbar uses thick layers to capture expressions, creating intimate portraits that draw viewers into each character’s psychology. Orchestrated Characters represents Babbar’s first solo show in Stockholm and is notable for including his works on paper, with six displayed publicly for the first time. These pieces reveal his process and approach to building his paintings, as each figure gradually emerges from washes of oil paint and turpentine. Usually a private part of his process, these paper works allow him to explore ideas before he transfers them to canvas. Each painting in the exhibition reflects both Babbar’s Indian heritage and his life in London, where he now resides. Through this body of work, he tells stories of Indian spirituality, legends, and the scenery of North India where he grew up, bridging cultural elements from India and the West through his impeccable technique. Warner notes that Babbar enjoys creating portraits and self-portraits, a passion evident in this exhibition. Using light, shadow, and meticulous brushwork, Babbar conveys the essence of his subjects with sensitivity and empathy. Orchestrated Characters is on display at Larsen Warner Gallery until the 15th of December. Photos courtesy of Larsen Warner Gallery, portrait by Dan Weill, courtesy of Nahmad Projects  

Ann-Sofie Back Is Back (With a Retrospective) text Natalia Muntean “I needed to make some sort of summary of my work in order to say goodbye and live again,” Ann-Sofie Back says, looking back at her career. Considered one of Sweden’s most influential fashion designers, Ann-Sofie Back is reflecting on her journey in Go As You Please – Ann-Sofie Back, a new exhibition at Stockholm’s Liljevalchs+ Museum, covering her work from 1998 to 2018. “Nicole Walker, my co-curator, and I have intentionally designed the exhibition to be as incohesive as possible,” Back explains. “We needed to make it exciting for us to put the exhibition together and a straight-up retrospective would have bored me to work on.” Accompanying the exhibition is a comprehensive monograph of the same name, which includes a wealth of visuals showcasing Back’s collections, runway presentations, lookbooks, styling projects, exhibitions, and media coverage. It also features interviews, articles, and writings by Back herself. “The book represents the linear development of my esthetic,” says the designer, “and the exhibition is more of a spontaneous interpretation.” The book, an extensive overview of Ann-Sofie Back’s vast archive, includes re-published texts by Lauren Cochrane, Anders Edström, Francesca Granata, Ulrich Lehmann, Maria Ben Saad and Mathilda Tham, as well as images by photographers such as Richard Prince, Johnny Dufort, Anders Edström, Nick Knight, David Sims, Juergen Teller and Harley Weir. “I chose these writers because they often revealed perspectives on my work that I hadn’t considered,” says Back. Reflecting on the 1999 shoot with Juergen Teller, she recalls, “I expected things like that to happen back then, but now, looking back, I’m almost embarrassed by my younger self.” The sketches and creative processes behind her pieces are what she is most excited for readers to discover in the monograph, but she regrets not including her portfolio from St. Martin’s, where she graduated in 1998. “It was so good! I just found it in a box in my storage,” she adds. “It would have also been fun to include all the absurd incidents from that time and the fun we had.” Over the years, her collections have challenged conventions of femininity, beauty, and glamour. Reflecting on her evolution, Back says she’s come full circle: “I’m back where I started—in 1998.” And her advice for young designers hoping to make an impact? “I don’t give advice,” she says straightforwardly. Whether Back will return to fashion remains open-ended. “I don’t know. Anders Edström and I did a shoot for the exhibition, revisiting my old designs with non-models in the suburb where I grew up. We agreed it would be our last shoot—but then I saw the Sugababes are touring again, so who knows?” For now, Back is designing interior objects under the name Gnilmyd Kcab. The monograph will be launched on November 7 at Liljevalchs, and the exhibition will be available from November 8, 2024, to February 23, 2025. Photo credit: @annsofie_back_archive and courtesy of Liljevalchs Museum