Erik Thor Sandberg, an oil painter currently based out of Washington, DC, creates beautifully rendered scenes that shy away from the conventional. Sandbergs works add touches of grotesque, nudity, and symbolism that question and redesign what it means to be human.

Some of his paintings capture a spirit of intimacy, as if the viewer is actually in a humorous, strange scene. In some, the characters seem to be complacently frozen in time, lost in their own actions and daydreams. In his paintings, Sandberg captures beauty in the grotesque, imperfections that makes life interesting.

The characters Sandberg creates aren’t idealised or perfected either. His fascination with humankind’s weaknesses is translated quite literally by clearly disfiguring and misconstruing some figures. Sandberg composes each pieces as a conversation between himself and the viewer. The oddball, narrative quality makes these oil paintings unforgettable.