Swedish artist Lars Daniel Rehn’s paintings of a growing northern village are simple while also complex. In his own words, he’s telling “a story about people living in a land somewhere far far away… You can say they live in a nuclear iceage.” In the beginning, the village is more barren. Over time, the villagers come to deal with a series of equally serious and humorous events. A closer look reveals them to be building roads, succumbing to sickness, rallying over rival soccer teams, and even being invaded by aliens. Some of these images cannot be seen unless illuminated by UV light, which Rehn uses to work in the studio. He describes his childhood town as a gray place, where he played inside with Lego kits and plastic toy soldiers, no doubt an inspiration. No matter what is taking place, the village is always covered in snow.
Rendered in watercolor and gouache, the landscape drawings of 
Photos by Curtis Cole. Portland based artist 
Originally hailing from Germany, New York based artist 
Seattle based artist