Paintings on Canvas
50 works
Johan Deckmann Problems Solve Themselves For Sale
Johan Deckmann
Problems Solve Themselves, 2025
Acrylic on book
16 1/2 x 13 3/8 in 42 x 34 cm
About this work
Problems Solve Themselves is a 2025 Book Wall Piece by Johan Deckmann (16 1/2 x 13 3/8 inches, 42 x 34 cm) that deploys one of his most characteristically witty and counter-intuitive statements. Painted in acrylic across a book cover, the phrase functions simultaneously as consolation, provocation, and gentle comedy: in a culture saturated with problem-solving methodologies and self-help strategies — many of them enshrined in exactly the kind of book Deckmann uses as his canvas — the suggestion that problems might simply resolve themselves is both radical and surprisingly sensible. Deckmann's practice consistently interrogates the assumptions embedded in self-help culture, and Problems Solve Themselves represents this critique in its sharpest form. The phrase acknowledges what experience often confirms: that some problems, left alone, do indeed resolve without intervention. The anxiety that demands immediate action is not always reliable, and the wisdom to distinguish between problems that need solving and those that need waiting is, perhaps, the most valuable kind. The book as medium amplifies this reading: the object most associated with the accumulated human effort to solve problems, overcome challenges, and improve the self is here inscribed with a message that questions the entire project. This is Deckmann's characteristic move — gentle, humorous, and genuinely wise. Problems Solve Themselves is a work that makes viewers laugh first and think second, which is precisely the order in which the best insights tend to arrive.
Price on Application
Edition & Provenance
- Year
- 2025
- Medium
- Acrylic on book
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Madness
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The Unsaid
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Understanding
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What Slowly Kills You
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More series by Johan Deckmann
About the Book Wall Pieces Series
Johan Deckmann's Book Wall Pieces series represents a distinctive exploration of language, psychology, and contemporary anxieties rendered through mixed media assemblage. Each work incorporates salvaged books and textual elements, transforming literary fragments into visual statements that resonate with collectors seeking conceptually rigorous, socially engaged art.
The series, which includes iconic pieces such as The Ultimate Guide to Overthinking, Finding Yourself, and All the Things I Never Say, examines modern emotional landscapes with wit and depth. Deckmann's strategic use of typography and material repurposing elevates everyday anxieties into compelling artistic commentary, appealing to collectors drawn to thought-provoking work with accessible conceptual frameworks.
This body of work has gained significant traction within contemporary art markets, particularly among collectors valuing sustainability and narrative-driven practice. The series demonstrates Deckmann's maturation as a conceptual artist while maintaining strong visual impact suitable for both residential and commercial collections.
Works from the Book Wall Pieces series are available for purchase. Please enquire for current availability and pricing.
About Johan Deckmann
Johan Deckmann is a Danish artist based in Copenhagen, where he also works as a practicing psychotherapist and author. He has been creating paintings and sculptures since the 1990s, though the body of work he is best known for, a series of imaginary self-help books, first appeared in 2014.
Deckmann sources old book covers, records, suitcases, and boxes from second-hand shops, then paints invented titles and silhouetted figures directly onto them. The results resemble vintage self-help guides from the 1960s and 70s, using muted tones and worn textures to give each piece a sense of history. His background in psychotherapy and music composition informs his approach to language, favoring short, pointed phrases that compress complex emotions into a single line. The titles range from wry to unexpectedly tender, and their directness allows them to resonate across different audiences regardless of background.
Deckmann has described his work as a way of applying the same instinct he uses in therapy, to find language that gets to the core of a feeling, to visual art instead. His pieces have been shown internationally, including in Copenhagen, Rome, Amsterdam, New York, and Miami, and have built a substantial following online, where his book pieces are widely shared and recognized.
Guy Hepner works with collectors seeking Johan Deckmann's witty, text-driven self-help book paintings. Contact us to discuss available inventory or to inquire about upcoming releases.