During Malmö Gallery Weekend from September 27–29, the Norrgavel store in Malmö will be transformed into a pop-up gallery. The exhibition "The Silent Meeting" explores what happens when an artist interprets the furniture of a like-minded designer. When painting and design intertwine. Between these two creative worlds, artist Jon Koko and Norrgavel come together. A harmonious meeting emerges between Jon Koko's minimalist expression and Norrgavel's quiet design and philosophy. The Silent Meeting.
Jon Koko x Norrgavel
THE SILENT MEETING
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OPENING & OPENING HOURS
In Conversation with Jon Koko
The meeting with Jon Koko takes place in his studio, which is located in a large studio association in the Middle Harbor area of Malmö. A well-trafficked but rather desolate area. New urban development projects haven’t reached here yet, and the architecture and atmosphere still evoke the old rugged industrial city of Malmö. Once inside Jon Koko's studio, you are met with complete order and harmony. The room is bathed in light from the large south-facing window. Suggestive background music provides a calm auditory backdrop. Every small brush and paint tube is meticulously and systematically placed. A kind of obvious perfection. It doesn't feel forced or unnatural. But definitely the opposite of what one might expect from an artist’s studio. However, it is entirely in line with everything Jon Koko represents. Namely, a kind of philosophical approach to life that involves boiling down, distilling, and achieving simplicity—essentially stripping away the non-essential.
Jon Koko as a person also exudes an insightful and humble calm that is uncommon for a 36-year-old man. He arouses curiosity. Who exactly is Jon Koko, and how did he get to where he is today? And why a collaboration with Norrgavel in particular?
Tell us about your background – upbringing & artistic education.
– I grew up in Lund, actually right in the area where Norrgavel started 30 years ago. I attended preschool on Prennegatan, and from that courtyard, you could see Norrgavel. I have painted and created things all my life. In high school, I chose an arts program. I have always drawn houses and been fascinated by architectural sketches. But I’ve also spent a lot of time with graffiti. When I was younger and considering a future career, becoming an architect was probably the most logical path. But in the world of art, you are completely free, and I see that as a big advantage. After high school, I worked in a warehouse, saved money, and then decided to fully commit to art. Instead of pursuing further art education, I forged my own path and developed my own style. Around 2014, my color palette and style began to resemble what they are today. There’s something incredibly relaxing about painting and surrounding myself with these colors.
What are your main sources of inspiration in your creative work?
– Natural materials and natural colors are a huge source of inspiration. In architecture, functionalism is interesting and inspiring with its harmonious color palette where all the colors fit together. Especially various shades within the gray spectrum. They don’t clash but rather create a cohesive whole. I am also inspired by a number of different artists. For example, Milton Avery, who was an American colorist. He painted two-dimensionally, and I mainly look at his mode of expression and his forms, as I also work two-dimensionally. Japanese woodblock prints inspire me—the entire universe of Japanese woodblock prints with their forms and the two-dimensional aspect.
You go by Jon Koko but your real name is Oskar Glemme – tell us more!
– Jon is my middle name. As a visual artist, you carry your name with you, and it's nice to create some distance from yourself with a stage name. That way, I can explore something beyond myself. The name Jon Koko, written with Japanese characters, symbolizes sea and quirky.
What does your artistic process look like?
– It starts with a simple shape, usually a rectangle. I first sketch by hand and then work digitally on the basic idea on the computer. After that, I let the image rest for several weeks, preferably months. Then you can see with fresh eyes if it works. The next phase involves the sketch undergoing a restoration, and then it rests again. So it's a slow process that can take several years before the final piece is completed.
With the Norrgavel project, the process looked a little different. It was about incorporating furniture into an environment where the furniture would be the focus. Removing everything that wasn’t relevant and stripping away until there was nothing more to strip away—that’s how I usually work, anyway. But in the Norrgavel paintings, I, Jon Koko, wanted to strip away myself. I tried to achieve a kind of neutral world, even though my expression is there. The furniture should be elevated and be the focus without looking unnatural. It shouldn't feel like product placement; it should feel like we both give and take from each other. To make it work, I first let myself be absorbed by the Norrgavel world, and then the project took off.
Can you put your artistic expression into words?
– I think I'm aiming for the essence. To strip away the non-essential. That’s incredibly important, the fundamental. It feels like everything is so complicated in the world, so it’s a nice escape to try to make things as simple as possible when creating. But there still needs to be a soul in it, something alive and essential. The unnecessary should be removed, but what remains should still have value. The two-dimensional aspect is part of that stripping away. A kind of abstraction, which gives it a hint of a fantasy world, but I’m not sure if I'm really working with naivism... If you get the simple, minimalist right, it also becomes the most direct expression. I’m currently working a lot with off-white and linen tones. I paint with oil paints, thinning with solvent or German “Safflower Oil” or walnut oil. It has hardly any yellow tint, which I prefer. People can sometimes find my color universe dull, but with this color palette, I never get tired of it. It is enduring in some way.
Do you see any parallels between your work and Norrgavel's furniture/approach to interior design?
– The idea of stripping away and finding the essential. Norrgavel aims to be as timeless as possible, which I am very attracted to. You can keep things for a long time; you don’t get tired of them. A connection that I also strive for.
What made you say yes to collaborating with Norrgavel?
– A nice symbiosis with shared values. It’s rewarding and easy to work with a company that has the same type of philosophy or way of seeing things. Respect for natural materials was a major factor. It’s the core of everything Norrgavel does. It was enticing to be introduced to the Norrgavel world, a very good world.
You’ve been called a “Japanophile.” What does Japan mean to you?
– I’ve studied Japanese and have many Japanese friends. If you have respect for materials and craftsmanship, you are automatically drawn to Japan. I’ve made many trips to Japan and attended courses there, including in Japanese woodblock printing. Craftsmanship is more in focus, and I’m drawn to stepping away from the digital and feeling the real materials. To work with your hands in a different way. Then you can create hybrids with Western oil paints. The materials are incredibly important, and also just working with the most beautiful materials. For example, washi paper is so incredibly beautiful in itself. The Japanese expression is strong but also very discreet, and that’s the same thing I want to achieve with my artistic expression.
What role does music play in your creative process?
– I use calm “ambient drone” music when I paint. It enhances the feeling when I sketch. I still listen to the same things I discovered when I was 20, like binaural beats. The music I listen to generates calm. A kind of soundscape that sits there and conveys a feeling. You could say the music goes hand in hand with what I create. Suggestive music helps to create images reminiscent of what you experience. I often return to a Japanese musician named Nobuto Suda.
You regularly practice meditation – tell us more!
– I’ve been interested in meditation since I was in my 20s, and I do breathing exercises every day. It’s a must to be able to see things reasonably clearly. And it’s a good tool for calming the nerves. If you go to a psychologist today, they often recommend meditation and focusing on the breath. Meditation is about stripping away what flutters and making contact with your inner self on a different level. Meditation is a door into another state.
It is clear that, like Norrgavel, there is a constant striving in Jon Koko to strip away and reach the essence. Likewise, the respect for craftsmanship and natural materials. To achieve the timeless and embrace the existential in life. This is probably why there is such a harmonious meeting between Jon Koko’s stripped-down artistic expression and Norrgavel’s quiet design and philosophy. The silent meeting. About the art of capturing the essence.
Explore Norrgavel's three-part core values.
Name: Oskar Glemme
Artist Name: Jon Koko
Born: 1988 in Lund
Solo Exhibitions
Thimar Westlin Gallery, Karlstad, Sweden (2014)
Vacant Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2024)
Group Exhibitions
New Landscapes, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (2023)
FAIRS KIAF, Seoul, South Korea (2023)
Art Central Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (2023)
Education
Karuizawa Mokuhanga School, Japan 2023
Kyoto International Mokuhanga School, Japan 2017
Japanese Art, Architecture and Visual Culture, Uppsala 2014
Spyken Fine Art Program, Lund 2004-2007
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