Given the current precarious state of today’s environment, it’s not surprising that concerns are often expressed in an ominous tone. But Swedish art director Nicklas Hultman is taking the more scenic route with Baroqueikebana, a series of sculptural objects forged and cobbled from random junk collected from the streets, walks around town or even from his own basement. With influences of Dutch Baroque painters and the Japanese art of flower arrangement, ikebana, his still-lifes exude a poetic beauty despite their surprisingly banal (and at times suggestive) components: home cleaning products, uncooked pasta, bricks, fruit, a sock, weeds, flowers, power tools, sex toys.
The project was inspired by his 5-year sojourn in Shanghai, where he witnessed the alarming consumption of plastic waste and disregard for its consequences. By revealing the beauty in the most ordinary and discarded objects, Hultman concludes that “everything is beautiful, and nothing is sacred.”
Currently based in Denmark, Nicklas works on professional and personal projects that give his audience a unique visual experience. His client list includes Volvo, Saab, Durex, Electrolux, Carlsberg and Babybjorn, among others. See more on his website and follow him on Instagram.
Images © Nicklas Hultman