• Overview
    Mike Swaney

    Born 1978 in Kimberley, British Columbia, lives and works in Barcelona.

    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.

    Oil, 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.

  • Biography
    Mike Swaney
    SOLO EXHIBITIONS | EXPOSICIONES INDIVIDUALES (SELECTION)

    2024 No Games, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona

    2023. Jardín de Luz. Delimbo Gallery. Sevilla

    2022. 4 Hands, Steve Turner, Los Angelese
    2022. How Many Paintings in a Roll of Canvas?, NBB Gallery, Berlin
    2021. Finger Family, Allouche Benias Gallery, Athens
    2021. Torrential Avalanche Sandwich, Breach Miami

    2019. Peanut Butter & Honey Moon, Sorry We’re Closed, Brussels

    2018. Here I am, here I am, how do you do? L21, Mallorca, Spain

    2017. Ongange Lellow, Gnyp Gallery, Berlin
    2016. Papisho, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus
    2015. Physiology of Taste, Rafael Pérez Hernando, Madrid

    2015. Sculptures & Groceries, Louis 21 – The Envelope, Palma de Mallorca

    2014. Subtropics, Krets, Malmö

    2014. Hut 1 Paintings 4, Blokker, Madrid
    2013. Sleeping Beauty Painter, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus

    2013. You just got blogged, me & the curiosity, Barcelona

    2013. :•), noestudio, Madrid
    2012. Efecto Dubuffet, Mulherin + Pollard, New York

    2012. Go West, Escala, Valencia, Spain 2011 Ding Dong , Alice Gallery, Brussels

    2012. Ancient Scrolls, Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, Miami 2010 The Corner, Victor Saavedra, Barcelona
    2009. Zulu Voodoo Buddha Guru, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona

    2009. Safari Arc Performance, Locust Projects, Miami
    2008. Butler’s Credit, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto

    2008. Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Red Deer, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver

    2007. Artifacts from Finland, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona

    2006. Onoffonoffonoff (w/ Human ve collective), Art Firm, Calgary
    2004. Spirit in the sky takes rest..., (w/ Human ve collective), The Crying Room, Vancouver

    2003. Human ve (w/ Human ve collective), Compound Gallery, Portland

     

    GROUP EXHIBITIONS | EXPOSICIONES COLECTIVAS (selection)

     2024. La Invitación, Gaviota, Madrid

    2024.To Build A Home, Mini Galerie, Rotterdam
    2024.New Portraits, Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona
    2023 “la terre est bleue comme une orange“, Alzueta Gallery, Madrid
    2023. MAMA, I’M COMING HOME, Tim Contemporaneo, Santiago
    2022 Familiar Faces, Mini Galerie, Rotterdam
    2022. Plays Well With Others, Freight+Volume, New York
    2022. Paradisio, Breach, Miami
    2022. Dream Paper, Galerie Slika, Lyon
    2022. NBB III, NBB Gallery, Berlin
    2021 NBB PAPERWORKS VOL II, NBB Gallery, Berlin
    2021. Paper, BEERS London

    2021. Now Now, Breach, Miami
    2021. Perfect Conditions, Galerie Slika, Lyon

    2021. CRYSTAL. Delimbo Gallery, Spain

    2020.Then and Now, Allouche Benias Gallery, Athens

    2020.The Edge of Chaos, The Newsstand Project, LA

    2018. 3 person show, Ever Gold Projects, San Francisco

    2018. As If A Field Could Become Some Dream, No Place, Columbus, Ohio

    2018. Velvet Ropes GIFC, David Risley Gallery, Copenhagen
    2017.     In Paper We Trust, The Dot Project, London- curated by Sara Clarken & Brigitte Mulholland

    2017. Three-way Ticket, Needles And Pens, San Francisco- curated by Pablo de Pinho

    2017. 21, Left Field Gallery, San Luis Obispo, USA

    2016. Grand Opening Show, Allouche Gallery, NY

    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

    2015. Second Show, Eddys Room Gallery, NY

    2015. Art Copenhagen w/ Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Denmark Sun Spot, Big Medium Gallery at Canopy, Austin, Texas Summer Mixer, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York

    2015. Crossing the Line, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark
    2015. Group show – Koelsch Gallery, Houston, Texas
    2015. Creative Expressions, organized by Jonathan Rajewski, College for Creative Studies, Detroit 2015. Art Herning w/ Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Herning, Denmark

    2014. Ingràvid group show curated by Me & the Curiosity, Galería Lola Ventós, Figueres Swab Art 2014. Fair w/ me & the curiosity & Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Barcelona Summertimes, Galeria Yusto/Giner, Marbela

    2014. Salat, 3 person show, CCA Andratx, Andratx

    2014. Arti cilia, Cyan Gallery, Barcelona
    2014. Still Life, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus
    2014. Just Before Brazil, Alice Gallery, Brussels
    2014. Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Curated by Mónica Álvarez Careaga, Galería Astarté, Madrid

    2014. Lost in Space, curated by Aliceday, Alice Gallery, Brussels

    2013. The Hanging (w/ Huskmitnavn), Ruttkowski 68, Cologne

    2013. Whole, In Part. Artists' Publications from the MACBA Collections, Musac, Leon Groupshow, 2013. Gallery Steinsland Berliner, Stockholm
    2013. Swab Art Fair w/ me & the curiosity, Barcelona
    2013. Living Video, Demolden, Santander, Spain
    2013. Wintershow, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark

    2012. Art Copenhagen w/ Alice Gallery and Charlotte Fogh Gallery Paperworld, Charlotte Fogh Gallery, Aarhus, Denmark Domesticated Souls, Alice Gallery, Brussels

    2012. Blaque Lyte, ADA Gallery, Richmond, USA

    2012. Esto no es graffiti, Cicus, Sevilla, Spain

    2012. Fun, Riihimäki Art Museum, Riihimäki, Finland

    2011. Pulse Miami w/ Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts

    2011. BYOB Barcelona, Fundació Met.room
    2011. Funky Pretty, Gallery Steinsland Berliner, Stockholm Art Brussels w/ Alice gallery

    2010. Pintura? cuatro respuestas, Adhoc Galeria, Vigo, Spain

    2010. Relationships, Galleri Christoffer Egelund, Copenhagen
    2010. Guasch Coranty Painting Prize exhibition, Centre d’Art Tecla Sala, Barcelona Draw, Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City
    2010. Group show, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco
    2010. To the road less travelled..., V1 Gallery, Copenhagen

    2009. The Pop of Colors, POVevolving Gallery, Los Angeles

    2009. Hello My Name Is, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Los Angeles

    2008. SCOPE Miami with Iguapop Gallery

    2008. Landscape Portrait Pattern, Hallway Projects, San Francisco
    2008. Out of STH, group show at Awangarda BWA, Wroclaw, Poland
    2008. White Noise Drawn Together, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen
    2008. How Clouds Dream (2 person show), Deluge Contemporary, Victoria, Canada Art Chicago & Art Cologne w/ Galeria Altxerri
    2008. SCOPE New York w/ Iguapop Gallery
    2008. White Noise, Space 1026, Philadelphia

    2007. SCOPE Miami w/ Iguapop Gallery

    2007. Slump (2 person show), Galeria Altxerri, San Sebastian, Spain Swab Art Fair w/ Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona

    2005. Humble Beginnings, Belkin Satelite, Vancouver

    2002. Dollhouse, The Crying Room, Vancouver

    2002. It’s a Small World, Gallerie le Deco, Tokyo & Sis Boom Bah, Toronto

    2002. Suggestive Line, Belkin Satellite Gallery, Vancouver
    2001. Live installation/performance with Human ve, Helen Pitt Gallery, Vancouver

    2001. Residents, Bubble Gallery, Vancouver

     

    RESIDENCIES | RESIDENCIAS

    Alzueta Residency, Casavells - May 2024

    Simcor Residency, Los Angeles - November 2019

    CCA Aandratx Residency, Mallorca – June 2014

    Noestudio, Madrid, Jan. – Feb. 2013
    Fountainhead Residency, Miami, Sept. – Nov. 2008

  • Works
  • Exhibitions