From Dream to Opening Night: Preparing for My First U.S. Exhibitions

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From Dream to Opening Night: Preparing for My First U.S. Exhibitions

In November, I began searching for galleries in Seattle — a city close to my heart through family. In January, I signed with Barlow Gallery, and since then I’ve been preparing for my first U.S. exhibitions. Now, as the opening weekend approaches, the final works are being painted right here in Seattle, infused with the city’s energy.

👉 Read the full story behind the journey to Rhythm of Colors and Rhythm of Emotions.

These exhibitions opened in September 2025. Read how they turned out →

✨ This September, I will open my first U.S. exhibitions with Barlow Gallery in Bellevue and Tacoma. What began last November with a dream of finding a gallery in Seattle has now become a reality — with the final paintings completed here in the city that inspired them.

Last November, I began looking for galleries in Seattle — a city that already holds a special place in my heart, as my daughter and her husband live here. What started as a search soon turned into a dream: could I bring my art across the ocean and share it with people in the Pacific Northwest?

In January, that dream became real when I signed a contract with Barlow Gallery. Since then, every day in my studio has been part of the journey toward these openings. I have been painting, reflecting, and planning — all with the knowledge that in September I would step into something completely new: my first exhibitions in the U.S.

Ingela Johansson preparing paintings for her first U.S. exhibitions with Barlow Gallery

Now, the moment is approaching fast. The last pieces in these collections are being finished right here in Seattle, painted with the energy and impressions I have felt since arriving. Creating here, so close to the opening, has given the work an immediacy — a sense that the paintings belong to this place and this time.

On Friday, September 12th, we will open Rhythm of Colors at the brand-new Barlow Gallery in Bellevue. The very next day, Rhythm of Emotions will open at Barlow Gallery in Hotel Murano, Tacoma. Two evenings, two cities, two exhibitions — each exploring different sides of my work, from the abstract rhythms of color to the layered stories of human connection.

I am both excited and nervous, but mostly deeply grateful — for the opportunity, for the welcome I have received here, and for the chance to connect with new collectors and art lovers.

Swedish artist Ingela Johansson in Seattle before her exhibitions with Barlow Gallery

This journey has been about more than just preparing an exhibition. It has been about following a thread of intuition, saying yes to possibility, and trusting that the right doors would open. And now, as the opening nights draw near, I feel ready to step through them.

📍 Bellevue – Rhythm of Colors – Sept 12, 5–8 PM
📍 Tacoma – Rhythm of Emotions – Sept 13, 4–8 PM

🎟 Free tickets: events.barlowgallery.com

A warm welcome!

Paintings by Ingela Johansson for the exhibitions Rhythm of Colors and Rhythm of Emotions

Invitation to Rhythm of Colors, exhibition by Ingela Johansson at Barlow Gallery in Bellevue, Seattle

Read how the exhibitions turned out: Between Rhythms and Emotions – Exhibiting in Seattle

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