In a new exhibition in Berlin, artist Dylan Solomon Kraus attempts to subvert hypnosis in new paintings

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About the artist: American multidisciplinary artist Dylan Solomon Kraus (b. 1987) is best known for his otherworldly, atmospheric paintings that have an almost cinematic quality. Originally from Ohio and currently based in New York, Kraus received his BFA from the Cooper Union in 2015 and has to date participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in the city and abroad. Inspired by childhood experiences of camping and hiking, the natural environment and art history, to name a few, Kraus’ unique visual language uses symbolism, vignettes inspired by the landscape and often visible brush strokes. Together, these elements result in decidedly otherworldly compositions that offer an alternate way of seeing reality, which brings the presence of the cosmos back to human scale and offers a sense of magic and mystique in the everyday.

What do you want to know: Currently on display, Fathers Projects presents Kraus’ personal exhibition “ExHypnosis», the first solo exhibition of the artist in Berlin and the third solo exhibition with the gallery; in 2022, Peres Projects, Seoul, hosted “The Inevitability of Alignment”, and Peres Projects, Milan, showed “Holy Unrest”. The current exhibition is comprised of a series of oil on linen paintings that explore ideas around agency, consciousness and the psyche. Using the concept of hypnosis – a sleep-like trance produced by another person – as a starting point, “ExHypnosis” considers its opposite, a degree of wakefulness and awareness that allows for greater understanding and awareness. Repeating patterns, varying degrees of representation and abstraction, and decisive color palettes construct another artistic world of Kraus’s creation, offering new ways of seeing.

Why we love it: The use of the reverse of hypnosis proves a powerful source of inspiration for Kraus, leading to a deep exploration of perception, perspective and renewed vision. Kraus’ achievement is most evident in his interpretation of the familiar in new and unconventional ways. In works such as Sparrow (2023), the color palette used suggests heightened vision, a night scene where no clarity or detail is lost. Likewise, in The Neophyte (Blue Rider) (2023), the same night vision is offered, but in an ethereal landscape that is both grounded in reality, but offers a sense of the mythical. In the exhibition, Kraus’ continued explorations into symbolism and formal elements are made visible through patterns repeated throughout the works. Two books titled Pandora’s box (both 2023) present an open box from which emanates a cloud of colors and patterns. Each work has a distinct color palette – one in blues and greens and the other in shades of reds, plums and purples – which, when juxtaposed, offer a glimpse of effect and l use of color and their varying emotional effects. Overall, visitors to the exhibition have the opportunity to explore the artistic and imaginative worlds of Kraus and follow the evolution of his compositional motifs.

See the featured works from the exhibition below.