Canadian artist Jon Todd paints portraits of hardened characters with an expressionistic approach, softening the rigidness of their tattoos and tense expressions with soft brushstrokes. Elements of Mexican, Asian and European folk art find their way into his work, but these influences are filtered through a prismatic, structured painting style. Todd will be featured in a two-person exhibition opening on June 8 with Jesse Hazelip titled “Butcher’s Hook” at Yves Laroche Galerie D’Art in Montreal. Take a look at some of his latest paintings after the jump.

An avid collector, Michael Johansson begins his work with a chaotic mess of furniture and household objects organized by color in his studio. The artist takes items like televisions, suitcases and drawers and transforms them into geometric, abstract sculptures. These arrangements evoke the Minimalist movement of the ’60s, with their large-scale geometry, but rather than feeling cold and calculated, the retro suitcases and televisions call forth a nostalgia for the coziness of pre-digital age home life. Take a look at some photos from Michael Johansson’s studio and his recent exhibition at the Vigeland Museum in Norway, images courtesy of Henrik Haven and Michael Johansson.

Tonight, May 23, Ted Lawson will open a new solo show titled “Crude” at Emmanuel Fremin Gallery in New York. Rather than interpreting the word “crude” as it is used it common speak to declare something tactless or offensive, Lawson refers to the word’s other meaning: a raw or unrefined state. Lawson’s new sculptures explore the idea of the cycle of life, tapping into the mythological link between death and eroticism as it pertains to regeneration and creation. Take a look at some of the works in the show below, images courtesy of Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, and see “Crude” May 23 through June 23.

Interdisciplinary artist Parra (featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 25) will open a solo show at Milan’s Galleria Patricia Armocida titled “Il Senso di Colpa” (or, “The Guilt”) on May 27, presenting new canvases, watercolors, monochromatic drawings and sculptures. Known for his bold, graphic renderings of sensual bodies in a Pop Art-inspired palette of red, blue, black and white, Parra explores the sense of guilt induced by self-criticism and second-guessing in this new body of work. Take a look at some of the works in the show after the jump and check out “Il Senso di Colpa” May 27 through July 26.

Glenn Barr‘s “Rooms” is the inaugural show for the Inner State Gallery, the next step in the evolution of the former 323 East Gallery in Detroit. Jesse Cory and Dan Armand picked up and moved from Detroit’s Royal Oak neighborhood and recreated it as Inner State Gallery in a three story brick building in the heart of The Motor City. Glenn Barr (HF Vol. 10 cover artist) described “Rooms” as an exhibition of scenarios inspired by a lethargic Detroit: “Images of wandering bars and bohemian escapists, electric streets and closing time, space gear and boas, all the while unaffected muses look down from on high,” wrote the artist. The show will features a collection of smaller intimate works and large paintings. Take a look at our photos from the opening on May 17. The show runs through June 16. See more after the jump!

As an artist, Travis Louie is known for his meticulously thought-out vision. He plans his paintings like a cinematographer, setting up a distinct look and feel and backstory that connects his body of work. However, the tables will be turned at Last Rites Gallery‘s upcoming show “Zombie,” a large group show curated by Louie featuring a wide variety of artists — from Steven J. Daily to Brandt Peters to Allison Sommers and more. For the show, Louie will relinquish creative control and invite the artists to interpret the theme of the undead. See the complete line-up and a sneak peek at the art after the jump and check out the show May 25 – June 26.