Those of the Unlight

“Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling,” wrote Charles Baudelaire in 1846, and in Those of the Unlight, Stockholm-based artist, Pär Strömberg appropriates the imagery of Romanticism and juxtaposes it alongside the iconography of black metal and satanism. Known for his vast and deserted landscape paintings, of cold winter woods and starless nights, this project takes a slightly different direction as it veers slightly into to the area of portraiture.

For a subculture so male-centric as the black metal scene, Strömberg has chosen to focus upon the female participants. These young women – mainly girls from Catholic backgrounds – use the machoistic iconography of black metal bands to make a new form of rebellious statement, hashtagging themselves within social media as #blackmetalgirls and claiming the subculture as their own. In portraying their ‘selfies’ in watercolour, Strömberg hopes to evaluate their status within the tropes of Romanticism.

Those of the Unlight will be on display at Riche, Lilla Baren, from September 1st to September 29.