In Your Own Time Sanctuaries of Resilience: Art as Refuge

(Oakland, CA) May 2026 - Johansson Projects presents In Your Own Time, a two-person exhibition featuring Turkish painter and sculptor Leyla Pekmen and French painter Julien Laporte. Known for their vivid compositions that illustrate the emotional landscape of their respective regions, both artists consciously embrace the beauty of their surroundings. Steeped in the history of local painting traditions, Pekmen and Laporte reject three-dimensionality, creating narratives through the interplay of color, line, and form.

Leyla Pekmen's storybook-like compositions are influenced by Ottoman miniature paintings. Originating in the 15th century to narrate the conquests of the ruling class, Pekmen instead opts for scenes of contemporary gathering and recreation. Her jovial paintings examine moments of rest and play that allow space for resilience while living under oppressive systems.

In Pekmen's work, an idyllic world of larger-than-life flora, gentle waterfalls, and warm oceans ensconces tiny figures. Engaged in activities such as swimming, strolling, and lounging, the figures occupy an infinite, peaceful present. They are lovingly watched over and diligently protected by grand features of the landscape.
Julien Laporte's sun-dappled paintings of the Mediterranean channel the enduring vitality of the coastal landscape and its interaction with the built environment, both as an ecosystem and as a source of artistic inspiration. Drawing on the vibrant and expressive tradition of the Fauves, Laporte's work demonstrates an ecological and historical sensitivity to the region, centering on experiential and energetic engagement with the natural world.

Laporte's thick brushstrokes and unrestrained color palette command attention, inviting the viewer to feel and see the landscape anew. Reducing form to pattern and shape, expressively rendered trees intermingle with flatly colored architectural features. Void of human figuration, Laporte's immersive landscapes capture moments of stillness along coastal paths, through open windows, along curving stairwells, and at cliff edges.

In Your Own Time will run Thursday, June 4, to Saturday, August 1, 2026. An opening reception will be held Friday, June 5 from 5-8 pm.

For all inquiries, contact Johansson Projects at 510-444-9140 or info@johanssonprojects.com

2300 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA, 94612

Johansson Projects is a contemporary art gallery that functions as a curatorial laboratory, creating exhibitions that pair established and internationally-recognized artists with up-and-coming locals. Its unique architecture allows for innovative exhibitions, prompting viewers to actively engage with artists who explore the delicate mysteries embedded in modernity often using unorthodox materials and methods. Johansson Projects is a locus for curators, collectors, and artists to connect and engage in dialogue with the larger art community both regionally and nationally.

This release was published on openPR.