Southnord presents UPNEXT 2026: Surfacing with Hugo Mugerwa Klockars
Working in large scale multi-medium installations, he examines tenderness, fragility, impermanence, memory, and how the body responds when encountering something vulnerable or difficult to hold onto. The solo exhibition will run from 9 September to 30 October 2026 .
Hugo Mugerwa Klockars (b.2003, Sweden) is currently studying at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. When he sews together images, books, and collages, it often feels as though he is seeing the work a new, as if the act of mending allows something hidden to surface. Working slowly by hand, giving each millimeter his full attention, becomes an act of care and presence.
Sewing is, for him, a way of processing and healing almost as if he were stitching together a wounded body. Through these gestures of mending and assembling, he explores how vulnerability can exist alongside strength, and how care itself can become a form of resistance against erasure of Black interiority.
“UPNEXT is a way to support the future generations of young Afro-Nordic artists. It gives them a chance to showcase their unique perspectives and materials to propel them toward more opportunities. Hugo has already developed a distinct artistic voice and we can’t wait to share his works”, says Southnord founder, Marcia Harvey Isaksson.
The exhibition will feature new works by the artist. UPNEXT is an annual opportunity for young Afro-Nordic artists to create a solo exhibition in the Southnord gallery, with curatorial support and documentation. This exhibition is curated by Sarah Taiwah Svärd.
Opening: 9 September 2026
Time: 17:00-19:30
Artist talk: 18:00
For further information and interview requests, please contact:
Rosel Jackson Stern
Communications Manager + Project Coordinator