Born in 1985 in Västerås, Sweden, Swedish artist Joakim Ojanen's creatures are at once surreal and deeply human. Each one has a life of its own made up of droopy, worm-like expressions, bugged eyes and odd, flappy growths. They are depicted across sculpture, painting, and drawing in multiple scales -- from miniature ceramics to large canvases and life-size casts. A palette of pastel hues is occasionally punctured by bursts of bright colour and the rough, uneven textures of Ojanen's sculptures are juxtaposed with their high-gloss finish. Ojanen's work is incredibly personal, yet reassuringly universal. His process relies on a solitary relationship between artist and material; in each pinch of clay, stroke of paint or swoop of charcoal, he infuses the works - consciously and subconsciously - with his personal feelings and experiences.