JOHANNES WESSMARK | The Magic of HyperRealism | An Exclusive Interview

An Exclusive Interview With
JOHANNES WESSMARK
The Magic of HyperRealism
By Ariel SU

“As an artist, my mind is permanently active. I observe my surroundings and think about how I would paint them. Two main influences have shaped my work over the years. First, I’m drawn to details. I enjoy exploring them and recreating them in my art. It could be a shadow’s color or a cliff’s texture. Some may call it nerdy, but it’s part of my identity. However, details aren’t what drives me to paint. It’s beauty.”
– Johannes Wessmark

We are thrilled to present an in-depth interview with Johannes Wessmark, an exceptionally talented hyperrealistic artist whose work has captured the attention and admiration of art enthusiasts worldwide over the last fifteen years. With an impressive portfolio of solo and group exhibitions spanning the globe, Wessmark has established himself as a prominent figure in the contemporary art scene.

His breathtaking artworks are housed in an array of esteemed private collections and prestigious museum collections, with highlights including the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain, the Count Ibex Collection in London, United Kingdom, Stockholm Konst, and the Karlstad Municipality in Karlstad, Sweden.

Wessmark’s talent has not gone unnoticed. His creations have been featured in numerous international art publications, solidifying his influence and making a profound impact in the art world. As we delve into his creative journey, we uncover the intricacies of his process and the inspiration behind his stunning hyperrealistic pieces.
Johannes Wessmark is represented by Plus One Gallery in London and Mash Gallery in Los Angeles.

“Experiencing beautiful things positively affects us all. It could be a stunning view of a blooming meadow or a woman enjoying the soft water while swimming.
I want to share that feeling of beauty and joy with my viewers. My goal is to make them pause and appreciate something positive.”
– Johannes Wessmark

An Exclusive Interview With
JOHANNES WESSMARK
The Magic of HyperRealism
By Ariel SU

Art Market Magazine: Thank you, Johannes. It’s a pleasure to feature this interview and showcase your outstanding large-scale hyperrealistic painting. We were overwhelmed by your high-quality technique. Where did you gain these skills? Where did the passion for art come from?

Johannes Wessmark: Thank you for this interview and for featuring my art.
I have always been fascinated with realistic art. As a child, I drew more complexly and detailedly than other children my age, so part of it is innate.
My mother saw my interest and supported me with tools and materials. I got good grades at school, and my art teacher encouraged me to continue. So, I had a good punch already from the start. When I, at age 30, discovered that hyperrealism is an art genre, I felt like I had found a “home” in the art world. This discovery was inspiring, and my passion grew even stronger.

Art Market Magazine: You have worked in advertising and computer graphics illustration for 15 years. What made you shift your life to the art world and develop your artistic style? What did the first years of the art journey look like?

Johannes Wessmark: As a freelance illustrator, you don’t have much freedom to create what your heart tells you, but you are pretty locked into your client.
When I reached a point in life where I could do pretty much whatever I wanted, I took the big leap I had always dreamed of. I closed the company and started painting my own art.
The beginning was scary and exciting at the same time, with a lot of work and almost no money. But I was determined to pursue my dream and kept fighting, which has finally paid off.

Art Market Magazine: Looking back on your 15 years in the advertising world, what advantages did you receive that serve you well in the art world today?

Johannes Wessmark: As a freelancer and self-employed person, you learn early on to work a lot and stay up late. This is something that I have benefited from as an artist. But the difference now is that I don’t want to go to bed even if it’s late at night.
Another thing I learned as an advertising illustrator, where realism was important, was to understand why things look the way they do. Why are shadows often bluer outdoors than indoors? How does light bounce off a rough surface compared to a glossy one? What makes a painting look more like a photograph than a painting?
I learned a lot of that knowledge about what makes an image look more realistic as an illustrator.

Art Market Magazine: Your website features a range of fields and topics, all made in fantastic hyperrealism, from Landscapes to Animals and Figurative styles focusing on water, which I see as the most impressive.
Which topic is your favorite, one that you feel has a complete flow and enjoyment when you paint?

Johannes Wessmark: I like figurative painting the most. I have painted many other motifs over the years, but I always come back to the human body, which I find fascinating to paint.
Also, most of the models I have painted are photographed by myself, and working with a model is very nice because one can create together. We discuss poses, light, props, environment, and so on. Afterward, we discuss and choose among all the photos that I take. A photoshoot with a model who loves art is always nice.

Art Market Magazine: In one of your past interviews, you mentioned, “Water is a subject matter that has followed me for many years.” Can you share your experience with water and your intense passion for expressing it?

Johannes Wessmark: I find it very exciting to paint water. It is both transparent and reflective, which can be challenging to recreate. Besides, maybe I love the water because I grew up in an environment where I was always close to it: our summer cottage on the West Coast, canoeing and sailing trips with my father, and wonderful memories on and by the water that have shaped me as an adult.
My absolute favorite subject is combining the two: people in water. This also reflects the enjoyment and pleasure I try to convey in my art.

Art Market Magazine: How do you gain this high technique? Some artists start their painting on a black background, some divide the canvas into a grid of squares, and some even use a screen featuring the photograph. Can you describe your technique?

Johannes Wessmark: I use specific working methods to strive for a highly realistic result. Some of them I learned from my colleagues and some I developed myself. For starters, I print my reference photo in full size. This makes finding the correct proportions and shapes easier when sketching my subject.
Secondly, I always start by painting large areas, such as backgrounds, with an airbrush. It is a tool that can cover a lot in a fairly short time and, at the same time, give a very smooth and soft surface. When I want to get down to the detail level, I switch to traditional brushes and acrylic or oil paint if I paint on canvas.
When painting on paper, I like to combine airbrushed acrylic with colored pencils, which works very well on paper.
Another difficulty can be finding the exact colors. That’s when my reference photo comes in handy. With it taped to the painting right next to, or even on top of, the area I’m painting, I can see very clearly if the colors match.
Then you learn how to adjust things that didn’t turn out well, why it’s sometimes good to make mistakes, how to paint with stencils, how to paint skin and hair, etc. 
After painting realism for over 40 years, I have learned many great technical solutions, but if I were to tell you about everything, this interview would be far too long…

Art Market Magazine: How long does it take to create each artwork?

Johannes Wessmark: It varies greatly depending on how complicated and detailed the motif is. The size of the paintings naturally affects working time, but it is just as much about the level of detail.
A simple painting with a solid background usually takes 3-5 days. Larger paintings with detailed backgrounds can take up to 3-4 weeks.

Art Market Magazine: What reactions do you receive from visitors and viewers of your exhibitions? Is there a particular response that genuinely touched your heart?

Johannes Wessmark: I once had an exhibition, and a couple of visitors came in and started with, “We just have to see this photo exhibition.”
It’s obviously a compliment, but it’s even more fun when the visitors realize they’re looking at paintings.
However, the comments that touch me the most are probably from someone who is emotionally affected.
It can be joy, sadness, memories, feelings—anything that is drawn out of the visitor’s life that I happened to awaken. Sometimes, the visitor doesn’t say anything but just walks around and looks at my art for a long, long time, concluding by saying, “I just have to buy this painting.” That’s also a nice comment.

Art Market Magazine: Your art is exhibited worldwide in prestigious galleries and art fairs. The list of solo and group exhibitions you have presented since 2006 is extensive. Just last year, in 2024, you exhibited at the 25th anniversary of Artelibre Gallery in the European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona and Madrid.
Did you reach your goal in your artistic journey? What do you wish for yourself in the coming years?

Johannes Wessmark: As your career progresses, you constantly create new, higher goals, so you always have something more to strive for. However, the goal I have longed for the most over the years is to work full-time with only art and no extra work, so I have achieved my biggest goal.
For the near future, I currently work with only two art galleries. They are good, but in today’s tough art world, you need more channels to sell your art. I hope to contact an art gallery that likes my figurative and/or landscape paintings to start a collaboration.
Within the next few years, my biggest dream is to become so successful that my wife can quit her job and I can afford to buy her a pool or an apartment in Spain 🙂

Art Market Magazine: Many talented artists have graduated from academic studies and cannot sustain and develop in the art field. From your successful journey that you have evolved since 2006, what advice can you give young artists?

Johannes Wessmark: Be prepared for a few tough years before it starts to flow independently. You can’t take your artistry for granted. Expect to have to struggle. It’s tough out there. I strongly reccomend you should take a course and learn the basics.
You should also want to learn how the art world works with marketing, social media, art galleries, etc.
But if you are passionate and preferably an art nerd who can’t stop creating, you have a good chance.
Love what you create or do something else.

Art Market Magazine: Where can art lovers and collectors pouches your art? Is there an upcoming scheduled exhibition? 

Johannes Wessmark: I have no exhibitions planned at the moment, but I am always represented at Plus One Gallery in London and Mash Gallery in Los Angeles. On my website, which I update continuously, you can find all the paintings available for sale. Some are in the galleries, and some can be purchased directly from my studio.

See the full interview article in Art Market Magazine Issue #102