Mike Swaney

About

Lives and works in Barcelona, Spain

Swaney’s work is based on imagination, as an opposition to photography. He intentionally turns to references such as Jean Dubuffet, Art Brut or Outsider Art, and to infinite search channels such as the Internet.

His pieces are full of characters with a naive and symbolic appearance. Human figures made of essential strokes and colours and cut out on flat backgrounds. Simplified faces that Swaney uses with certain irony, as emoticons of today’s society, as a window where to contemplate our world.

Known for his expressive painting and sculptures, Swaney invites the viewer to inquire about customs, rituals and objects from the perspective of the absurd. Their eagerness to reproduce situations of our daily life causes that, once introduced in the work, they adhere to a surrealist logic that leaves no one indifferent.

Acrylic, gesso and pen on canvas are enough for him to play with contemporary folklore in texts, newspaper clippings and artifacts. The result is multicolored jugs, symmetrical castellets and emoticons full of humor.

Swaney has exhibited his work in galleries and art fairs around the world; from Barcelona to New York, passing through Miami, Toronto, Copenhagen and Brussels.

CV

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
No Games, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2024)
Jardín de Luz, Delimbo, Sevilla, Spain (2023)
Apricot Chakra, PIERMARQ, Sydney, Australia (2023)
Untitled, JVDW, Dusseldorf, Germany (2023)
Four Hands, Steve Turner, Los Angeles, USA (2022)
How Many Paintings in a Roll of Canvas?, NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2022)
Finger Family, Allouche Benias Gallery, Athens, Greece (2021)
Torrential Avalanche Sandwich, Breach, Miami, USA (2021)
Peanut Butter & Honey Moon, Sorry We’re Closed, Brussels, Belgium (2019)
Here I am, here I am, how do you do?, L21, Mallorca, Spain (2018)
Ongange Lellow, Gnyp Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2017)
Papisho, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark (2016)
Physiology of Taste, Rafael Pérez Hernando, Madrid, Spain (2015)
Sculptures & Groceries, L21, Mallorca, Spain (2015)
Subtropics, Krets, Malmö, Sweden (2014)
Hut 1 Paintings 4, Blokker, Madrid, Spain (2014)
Sleeping Beauty Painter, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark (2013)
You just got blogged, me & the curiosity, Barcelona, Spain (2013)
:·), noestudio, Madrid, Spain (2013)
Efecto Dubuffet, Mulherin + Pollard, New York, USA (2012)
Go West, Escala, Valencia, Spain (2012)
Ding Dong, Alice Gallery, Brussels, Belgium (2011)
Ancient Scrolls, Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, Miami, USA (2011)
The Corner, Victor Saavedra, Barcelona, Spain (2010)
Zulu Voodoo Buddha Guru, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2009)
Safari Arc Performance, Locust Projects, Miami, USA (2009)
Butler’s Credit, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, Canada (2008)
Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Red Deer, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2008)
Kick the Bucket, Galeria Victor Saavedra, Barcelona, Spain (2008)
Artifacts from Finland, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2007)
Gold in the Net, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2007)
The Gang’s All Here, Les Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2007)
Onoffonoffonoff, Art Firm, Calgary, Canada (2006)
Spirit in the sky takes rest…, The Crying Room, Vancouver, Canada (2004)
X the owl and the land of make believe, Voice 1156 Gallery, San Diego, USA (2004)
Humanfive, Compound Gallery, Portland, Canada (2003)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS (Since 2013)
La Terre Est Bleue Comme Une Orange, Alzueta Gallery, Madrid, Spain (2023)
MAMA, I’M COMING HOME, Tim Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile (2023)
Plays Well With Others, Freight + Volume, New York, USA (2022)
Paradisio, Breach Miami, USA (2022)
Dream Paper, Galerie Slika, Lyon, France (2022)
Familiar Faces, Mini Galerie, Rottermdam, Netherlands (2022)
NBB III, NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2022)
NBB PAPERWORKS VOL II, NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2021)
Paper, BEERS London, UK (2021)
CRYSTAL, Delimbo, Seville, Spain (2021)
Now Now, Breach, Miami, USA (2021)
Perfect Conditions, Galerie Slika, Lyon, France (2021)
Then and Now, Allouche Benias Gallery, Athens, Greece (2020)
The Edge of Chaos, The Newsstand Project, Los Angeles, USA (2020)
3 person show, Ever Gold Projects, San Francisco, USA (2018)
As If A Field Could Become Some Dream, No Place, Columbus, Ohio, USA (2018)
Velvet Ropes GIFC, David Risley Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2018)
In Paper We Trust, The Dot Project, London, UK (2017)
Three-way Ticket, Needles And Pens, San Francisco, USA (2017)
21, Left Field Gallery, San Luis Obispo, USA (2017)
Grand Opening Show, Allouche Gallery, New York, USA (2016)
Itch Under The Skin, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark (2016)
GIFC VOL 2-6, David Risley Gallery, Happy Ending, HAIK HQ, Steinsland Berliner, Agnes B’s
Gallerie du Jour (2016)
Christmas Show, Versace Versace Versace, Miami, USA (2016)
Second Show, Eddys Room Gallery, New York, USA (2015)
Sun Spot, Big Medium Gallery at Canopy, Austin, Texas, USA (2015)
Summer Mixer, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA (2015)
Crossing the Line, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark (2015)
Group show, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, Texas, USA (2015)
Creative Expressions, College for Creative Studies, Detroit, USA (2015)
Art Herning, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Herning, Denmark (2015)
Ingràvid, Galería Lola Ventós, Figueres, Spain (2014)
Summertimes, Galeria Yusto/Giner, Marbella, Spain (2014)
Salat, CCA Andratx, Mallorca, Spain (2014)
Artificilia, Cyan Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2014)
Still Life, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark (2014)
Just Before Brazil, Alice Gallery, Brussels, Belgium (2014)
Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Galería Astarté, Madrid, Spain (2014)
Lost in Space, Alice Gallery, Brussels, Belgium (2014)
The Hanging, Ruttkowski:68, Cologne, Germany (2013)
Whole, In Part. Artists’ Publications from the MACBA Collections, MUSAC, Leon, Spain (2013)
Groupshow, Gallery Steinsland Berliner, Stockholm, Sweden (2013)
Living Video, Demolden, Santander, Spain (2013)
Wintershow, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark (2013)

ART FAIRS
ART COPENHAGEN, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2015)
SWAB ART FAIR, me & the curiosity, Barcelona, Spain (2014)
SWAB ART FAIR, me & the curiosity, Barcelona, Spain (2014)
ART COPENHAGEN, Alice Gallery & Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2012)
PULSE MIAMI, Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, Miami, USA (2011)
ART BRUSSELS, Alice gallery, Brussels, Belgium (2011)
SCOPE MIAMI, Iguapop Gallery, Miami, USA (2008)
ART CHICAGO, Galeria Altxerri, Chicago, USA (2008)
ART COLOGNE, Galeria Altxerri, Cologne, Germany (2008)
SCOPE NEW YORK, Iguapop Gallery, New York, USA (2008)
SCOPE MIAMI, Iguapop Gallery, Miami, USA (2007)
SWAB ART FAIR, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2007)

ARTIST RESIDENCY
Alzueta Gallery’s Artists Residency (AGAR), Empordà, Spain (2024)
Simcor Residency, Los Angeles, USA (2019)
CCA Aandratx Residency, Mallorca, Spain (2014)
Noestudio, Madrid, Spain (2013)
Fountainhead Residency, Miami, USA (2008)