The work of

Danish painter Laust Højgaard works in the charged space between realism and abstraction, where the visible world is gradually transformed into something more psychological and unsettled. His paintings often begin with recognizable motifs such as interiors, landscapes, and fragments of architecture, yet these points of reference are slowly disrupted by layered brushstrokes, veiled surfaces, and shifts in scale that destabilize depth and perspective.

Central to Højgaard’s practice is a strong awareness of paint as both image and physical substance. Thick, tactile passages sit beside translucent washes, allowing earlier layers to remain visible and giving the surface a sense of excavation rather than resolution. His color palette tends toward muted, dusty tones, interrupted by sharp, luminous accents that appear almost accidental, guiding the eye while simultaneously breaking the coherence of the scene. Light in his work feels indirect and remembered, as if filtered through time rather than observed in the present.

Rather than depicting specific places, Højgaard constructs spaces that hover between the real and the imagined. Rooms seem to open into landscapes, walls dissolve into fields of color, and architectural lines are repeatedly challenged by painterly gestures. This tension between structure and dissolution gives his work a quiet but persistent unease.

The result is a body of painting that resists clear narrative and quick interpretation. Højgaard invites the viewer to move slowly through his images, reading them as atmospheres rather than scenes. His paintings suggest moments of transition, where presence is unstable and meaning remains suspended, making perception itself the central subject.