Greener Grass – Solo Show by Landon Bailey Higgins
“Is the grass greener on the other side, and does the intoxication of fantasy overshadow what we invest in reality?”
These are questions that arise in Gallery Poulsen’s presentation of Landon Bailey Higgins’ third solo exhibition, opening Friday, May 8.
As human beings, we have always dreamed, longed for, and strived toward something beyond what we already have. Yet the question of whether the grass is greener on the other side remains a deeply personal and universal dilemma.
In the exhibition Greener Grass, Landon Bailey Higgins focuses on transitional periods in life — the hesitation we feel when standing between what we know and what we cannot yet see. His paintings explore the emotional complexity of these moments, where feelings of loss, excitement, loneliness, relief, strength, and fragility coexist.
To visualize these states of transition, Higgins works with portals: doorways, windows, and gateways that open into idyllic landscapes. Often constructed from gummy bears, these thresholds suggest entry into new emotional territories. They function as metaphors for movement — not only between spaces, but between states of mind.
The gummy bear has become a central figure in Higgins’ practice. Its playful and familiar form allows him to approach heavy and sometimes traumatic subject matter with a sense of lightness and accessibility. This contrast creates a space in which complex emotional experiences can be both confronted and softened.
In earlier works, pairs of gummy bears formed gates separating the viewer from another space. In the exhibition’s title work, Greener Grass, this structure shifts. Here, the gateway appears within the silhouette of a central bear. Red and blue bears overlap and partially obscure the figure, acting almost like sirens — calling it toward a luminous, partially revealed landscape beyond. At the same time, they block its view, intensifying the tension between staying and leaving.
These compositions not only describe a longing for something different, but also suggest the possibility of forging one’s own path. The works ultimately assert a sense of hopefulness and appreciation, proposing that emotional movement does not have to be defined by loss alone.
Higgins poses open-ended questions: Does appreciation supersede resentment? Does the intoxication of fantasy outweigh what we choose to invest in reality?
Rather than offering fixed answers, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their own thresholds — and to consider what it means to move forward.
Landon Bailey Higgins (b. 1996) studied at Pratt Institute (AAS in Painting, 2018) and Hunter College (BA in Studio Art, 2019). His work explores themes of longing, identity, and alternative realities, brought together through a visual language that is both playful and emotionally resonant.
The exhibition presents 9 new oil paintings by Landon Bailey Higgins.
Opening reception Friday, May 8, 5:00–7:00 PM
Gallery Poulsen, Staldgade 32, Copenhagen
For more info: +45 33 33 93 96, [email protected]
