Long before the internet flattened subcultures into endless algorithmic noise, a teenage outsider from Sweden fundamentally altered the aesthetic DNA of alternative culture. Operating under the moniker Yung Lean, Jonatan Leandoer Håstad injected a melancholic, surrealist fog into rap—creating a world where hazy sadness and avant-garde visuals collapsed into one another.
Now, the enigmatic creative is pulling back the curtain on a decade of secret, raw artistic output.
Taking over Stockholm’s Torsgatan 22 from September 25 to October 11, the upcoming showcase—titled Collected Works 2016–2026—marks a dramatic shift for the multi-hyphenate artist. Far from a retrospective cash-in, the exhibition is an unfiltered dive into Håstad’s stream-of-consciousness process, unearthing ten years of hitherto unreleased paintings, chaotic collages, intricate drawings, and tactile sculptural works.
Designed as an immersive labyrinth rather than a sterile white-cube space, the gallery will encompass a stylized salon, an eerie television room, and dedicated screening spaces for larger-scale installations. At the center of the experience is an exclusive new short film starring and executive produced by Håstad himself—a dreamlike, cinematic journey tracing two lovers through a hauntingly surreal Swedish landscape.
For an artist who lets pure intuition guide his hands, art-making remains a deeply subconscious ritual. Following the physical run in Stockholm, select sculptures from the collection will head to an international auction hosted by prestigious house Bukowskis, signaling Håstad’s undeniable entry into the canon of contemporary visual art.
Photos: Miriam Leandoer