Lukas Carlson is a Minnesota-based painter working between figuration and abstraction. His practice is discovery-driven, prioritizing openness and intuition over predetermined outcomes. Rather than fully resolving his images, Carlson allows figures to surface gradually through restrained mark-making and layered paint, treating them as reflections of the self rather than fixed identities. These ambiguous forms create space for viewers to recognize their own emotional experiences within the work.

Carlson holds an MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. His work has been exhibited at institutions including the New York Academy of Art, the Rochester Art Center, the Red Wing Center for the Arts, and the MCAD Main Gallery. He is an emerging artist whose work continues to gain attention for its quiet intensity, emotional clarity, and commitment to process-based painting.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

There is a looming sadness in my painting. It is present in my figures, which appear embedded in abstracted spaces, much like I find myself unable to escape those emotions. Yet, there is also a deep acceptance in this, a recognition that sadness can also be a form of solace. Life is hard. I use painting and drawing mediums to explore ways I can become vulnerable and generate imagery through which my audience can feel a sense of comfort and peace within their own emotional challenges.

An intertwined source of inspiration this year has been my Irish heritage, specifically in its folklore, fables, and stories. These narratives hold a wealth of imagery that I believe can further enrich the emotional and conceptual depth of my work. Irish folklore is filled with moments of tragedy and transformation, both of which speak to the themes of melancholy and solace I already explore. Though I don’t expect this influence to redefine my work, I hope it expands my imagery from personal introspection into something that speaks beyond myself.

A wandering line–it carves and cuts its way through many of my paintings. This impulsive and important mark can be seen in pieces such as Tuarlofa and on the skin of the figures in Children of Lir I. Similar to an electrocardiogram recording your heart rate or the lines on the scroll of a polygraph displaying the truth, this practice is meant to expose thoughts and feelings that normally remain hidden. By emphasizing this autonomous mark-making, I aim to reveal a deeper pursuit at the heart of my work: to confront emotional realities such as depression with honesty rather than concealment.