Arno Westerberg’s new exhibition explores themes of seeing and disappearing. His paintings unfold within a sharply defined moment, delving into the gaze – what we see and, above all, how we see. In his works, “ways of seeing” refers not to interpretation, but to the physical act of perception itself. The gaze is always in forever motion: roaming, sharpening. The exhibition title, Soft Eyes, is borrowed from equestrian sports, describing a peripheral gaze – broad, unfocused, yet acutely aware of its surroundings. “Soft eyes” can also suggest an emotional or infatuated look, a softened and tender way of seeing.
Westerberg’s painting style is minimal and gently direct, carrying an honest, incisive narrative. In his pictures, narrative is both present and absent – it hovers at the edges of the work, breathing somewhere beyond the frame. This tension lies at the heart of his practice: what is left unsaid or unseen often carries as much weight as what is revealed.
Although Westerberg’s subjects are drawn from everyday life, his works at times enter into dialogue with art history. For instance, Sofianlehto draws inspiration from a detail of Gunnar Finne’s Fact and Fable (1898), the monument to Zacharias Topelius in Helsinki’s Esplanade Park.
Born in 1998, Westerberg graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of the Arts Utrecht in 2022 and completed a master’s degree at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki in 2024. He has exhibited widely in Finland and internationally. His first solo shows were held in Arnhem, the Netherlands, and he has since participated in group exhibitions at venues including Collectie De Groen, the Academy of Fine Arts Master’s Degree Show in Helsinki, and Billytown in The Hague.