Mikael B has always wanted to break with society’s traditional, established norms and rules – he is his own person and he takes the world by storm, but with an awareness of being present and acting in the moment. This awareness permeates his work and is expressed in the fragmented geometrical landscapes, which, with their invisible all-encompassing power, threaten indefinite emptiness while emphasizing a poetic space for reflection and thereby the importance of remembering to live in and seize the moment.

he spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has said: There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. Today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live. A reminder for us to live in the moment and take chances – we can act today, not yesterday, and tomorrow is unpredictable; hence it is the moment that we need to seize and that leaves us with unexpected possibilities. Mikael B celebrates courage, will and focus. Those are the most important ingredients for a good life. An inspiring, courageous outlook on life, which the artist lives and shares through his work in the Never Tomorrow exhibition.

“All my life I’ve seized opportunities and made wild decisions that have led me to unique places and experiences. I’ve
never been afraid to fall, but have always got back up even stronger. It’s about seizing the opportunity, the moment,
and living life for today – not tomorrow.”

– Mikael B.

► ABOUT //
Mikael B. and the non-profit organization Lonely Whale with actor Adrian Grenier in the lead, known from Entourage, has teamed up to focus on minimizing plastic pollution in the oceans. For Miami Art Basel they opened the doors to the big solo show, ‘Awake’, where Mikael shows his latest works inspired by Lonely Whale and their work.

All profits from the exhibition went exclusively to Lonely Whale in addition to a limited print release that has been put up for sale here on the website to raise more funds and awareness for the organization. SLS Brickell, who housed the exhibition, had also given Mikael the honor of decorating their iconic Philippe Starck sculpture, depicting a duck, which was revealed on the opening night to the joy of a large crowd of attendants.

The idea for this cooperation comes from Mikael’s great love for the oceans. He has dived and snorkeled for as long as he can remember. The name of the exhibition ‘Awake’ is therefore also a call for action for us all to start taking responsibility for preserving our oceans. That’s why it felt natural to collaborate with Lonely Whale as Mikael for a long time has wanted to use his art to make a difference in the world.

Gregorio Escalante Gallery presents:
Mikael B solo exhibition “Reality Shift”
OPENING NIGHT, JULY 15th, 7-10pm

► NB! Please sign up via the Facebook event here or RSVP: mo@mikael-b.com. The guest list is made from the Facebook event and email sign ups.

► Gregorio Escalante Gallery is excited to announce its upcoming solo exhibition with Danish artist, designer, and muralist Mikael B.
A pursuit of passion and an exploration of new worlds, Reality Shift reveals the artist’s process through drawings, prints, paintings, and a new mural at the gallery.

► OPENING HOURS //
Reality Shift will be on view at Gregorio Escalante Gallery from July 15 through August 20, 2017.
Wednesday – Sunday, 1pm – 6pm.

► ABOUT //
Everybody dreams. Everybody strives to get lost and find themselves, to find their purpose in this life, but we ultimately make the distinction between what is realistic and what is idealistic.

Mikael B. refuses to make this distinction, continuing to grow into the passionate young artist that he is today. From graphic design to wildstyle graffiti to his latest abstract dreamscapes, his oeuvre of work is constantly growing, changing, and challenging itself to create new, wild worlds where anything is possible.
Mikael B. established his own successful design agency in 2008, fusing his background in graphic design with more artistic elements to create new brand identities for his clients.
In 2014, he chose to dedicate himself to his art practice, establishing a signature aesthetic that combines graphic elements of wildstyle graffiti with bold colors and geometric forms.

His work is unbound, unrestricted, flowing across genres of urban contemporary, fine art, and graffiti to create alternate realities and new universes
within each piece that he creates.
After opening his sold-out solo show in Denmark, Mikael B. is making his mark in Los Angeles with Reality Shift . This latest body of works sees a westward influence in the color palette and creation – somber tones of rich browns, dark blues, and neutral grays contrast with vivid neons and bold geometric shapes. His canvases leave more negative space amongst the graceful clouds and painterly brushstrokes, allowing us space to challenge ourselves to let go while quietly encouraging us to believe that this quixotic moment can be our reality.

► CONTACT //
• E-mail: mo@mikael-b.com
• Tel: (+1) 323-697-8727
• Advance preview/preorder: mo@mikael-b.com
• Media Inquiries: heidi@thinkhijinx.com

The exhibition fathoms Mikael B’s whole artistic career and shows his range of artistic expressions; from rough wildstyle graffiti influences to urban art styles -including the re-vamped world maps in explosive colours and abstract decorations, photos of his wall paintings and, of course, recent pieces on canvas such as Crystal Clouds, Ice Breaker and Multiverse in acrylic and spray paint.

The expressive pieces all have an almost volcanic energy, an uncompromising attitude and inherent wildness, which invite interpretations and appeal trough their explosive colours and geometric shapes.

In all the paintings you can feel the artist’s aspiration to create liberating, positive and expressive paintings in which the viewer can let the imagination roam free. The artists hands his audience a space in which thoughts can wander, the gaze can be bewildered and concerns and negative thoughts can disappear, so we can “Just Be”.

By creating a unique setting at the venue, the audience will experience the art in its right element: among danish interior design and furniture.

Spread out in separate clusters in this 700m2 building, Mikael B lets his pieces of art interact with &tradition’s functional and artistic design. The presentation and the works invite visitors to explore, and loose themselves in the universe as they make their way to the main room where the artist’s 3-metre wide master piece is on view.

“Emerging Alchemy” is as much an exploration of Danish design sensibility as it is figure and form.
Originally from Denmark and now making their mark on Los Angeles, the show is a multi-faceted collaboration between celebrated photographer/cinematographer
Thomas Fryd and the much sought-after street artist/graphic designer Mikael B also known as KETS in the graffiti world.

The result is 15 original canvases and two sculptures that originated from the black & white images of Fryd’s Homorphology series, featuring stunning, yet disturbing amalgamations of human body parts. Another layer of depth has been added by Mikael B’s ethereal and colorful cloudscapes.

Gregorio Escalante Gallery, solo show
Los Angeles, US, 2017

CASS Contemporary “Colors Lines Layer“ group show
Tampa, FL, US, 2017

California Firefoundation
Los Angeles, US, 2017

Art Basel 2016 / Superfine Art Fair
Miami, US, 2016

&Tradition “Just Be“ Solo Show
Copenhagen, Denmark, 2016

REN Gallery “Dream State“
Los Angeles, US, 2016

Art Basel 2015 / SCOPE Art Show
Miami, US, 2015

ArtSwagger, group show/art walk
Los Angeles, US, 2015

BuzzArt Auctions
New York City, US, 2015

Red Penguin Art Gallery “Fusion Art“
Marbella, Spain, 2015

LaLuz De Jesus Gallery “Coaster Show“
Los Angeles, US, 2015

Thinkspace Gallery “Where We Belong“
Los Angeles, US, 2015

Corey Helford Gallery “Product Displacement“
Los Angeles, US, 2015

Project Gallery “Emerging Alchemy“ Duo/collab Show
Los Angeles, US, 2015

City Yard Gallery “Furious“
Copenhagen, Denmark, 2014

Life & Style Fair “Minimal World”
Copenhagen, Denmark, 2013