There are Some Dead Who are More Alive Than the Living

Magnus Gjoen is known for his intrepid blend of the beautiful and the macabre. With a passion for the memento mori, Gjoen is drawn to human skulls, festooning them with garlands of flowers, cherubic figures and pastoral idylls in rich baroque style.

There are Some Dead Who are More Alive than the Living translates Gjoens death-defying aesthetic into sculptural form. Drawing on eighteenth century Delftware, Gjoen inscribes the white porcelain skull with ribbons of delicate blue flowers and plumes. A reminder of the delicate coexistence of life and death, Gjoens exquisite sculpture is both beautiful and profound.