Existential Abstraction is the overarching philosophical and painterly movement developed by Cosondra Sjostrom. It posits that the most profound exploration of human existence arises not through literal figurative representation, but through the physical translation of psychological energy and lived narrative into a visual field.
Existential Abstraction rejects both detached formalism and narrative illustration. The painting does not explain an event or reveal confidential details; instead, it embeds the energy of that experience directly into the material, transforming the story into an open, living encounter.
Within this framework, Sjostrom operates through The Portrait Series, unfolding across two distinct avenues:
Artist Portraits: Unfiltered studio excavations born from Sjostrom’s personal emotional landscapes, turning points, and internal archaeology.
Collector-Inspired Legacy Portraits: Bespoke works created on a signature 24" × 48" scale, distilling confidential dialogues with collectors, capturing affective charge, biographical traces, and unspoken psychological currents into a single composition.
Central to both paths is her signature motif: a rectangular silhouette unveiled in 2020. Functioning as a structural anchor rather than a visual depiction of a figure, the rectangle acts as a physical container for memory and identity. Through a process of building, scraping, and excavating dense acrylic impasto, earlier marks ghost through translucent veils while buried colors resurface in luminous strata.
Sjostrom deliberately drives the thick paint beyond the boundary of the central rectangle, using the scraped edges to symbolize liberation from rigid form itself. By keeping the surrounding canvas restrained, the central rectangle operates as a threshold where personal memory or shared dialogue, coupled with raw emotion, radiates outward.
Existential Abstraction bridges Psychological Abstraction and Abstract Portraiture. Not every viewer was present for the original event or confidential conversation, nor do they need the explicit history. The painting holds the raw energy of the moment, allowing the story to resonate not as an answered inquiry, but as an authentic, universal encounter with meaning, presence, and human connection.