The work of John Isaacs produces altered modes of historic perception. Approaching materials from a temporary understanding, the artist transforms oldness and newness into ambiguous categories. Simultaneously, Isaacs reverts the symbology used by religious institutions or popular culture to establish parameters of value and meaning. By liberating these signs from their regular references they can be arranged as a common ground where a truly human aspect manifests itself, with the disposal and tendency towards transcendence.

The initial estrangement produced by Isaacs’ works concerns a shared essence between humans that the artist decides to sublimate but also to parody, using a great diversity of mediums and materials. John Isaacs employs language and referentiality for an adverse purpose, instead of reaffirming meaning, he cancels it to reveal the emotional dimension of things and their relation to the human body.

Recent solo exhibitions include: Under the Volcano, Travesía Cuatro MX, Mexico (2024); A Gateway to Possible Worlds, Centre Pompidou, Mertz, France (2022); Energetic Gestures, Kunstsaele, Berlin, Germany (2022); Le Moyen Âge Réinventé, Palais des Beaux Arts, Lille, France (2022); Today I started loving you again, Galerie Michael Haas & Kunstlager Haas, Berlin, Germany (2021); Dust, Travesía Cuatro, Madrid, Spain (2019); Archipelago, Galleria Poggiali, Milan, Italy (2018); Sublimi Anatomie, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy (2020); The 13 Corner, Travesía Cuatro Guadalajara, Mexico (2016); INCONSOLUS votes for children, Travesía Cuatro, Madrid (2015); Forgiveness and reconciliation, Musei Vaticani, Rome (2015); Absurd builders, utopia of handyman, Abbaye Saint André, Centre d’art contemporain, Meymac, France (2015); The hospice of a thousand thighs: Experiments in Healing, CAN Centre d’Art de Neuchâtel, Switzerland (2015); Fleischeslust, Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden, Germany (2015); About Trees, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Switzerland (2015); A Brief History of the Future, Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium (2015); The name is Burroughs – Expanded Media, Sammlung Falckenberg, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg, Germany (2013).

Among his recent group exhibitions are:  Disorders – Excerpts from the collection Antoine de Galbert, MAC Lyon, France (2024); Suppose You Are Not, ARTER, Turkey (2024); One day It will Be Like When We ́ve Already Live,Galerie Steinek, Vienna, Austria (2021);  Figuratively Speaking, O54 Exhibition Series at Am Tacheles, Berlin, Germany (2021); Portal #2, Luigi Solito Galleria Contemporanea, Naples, Italy (2021); Please Leave This World, Maelle Galerie, Paris, France (2020).

His work has also been featured in numerous international museums, institutions and galleries, such as: The Saatchi Gallery, London; The Hayward Gallery, London; Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; MARCO, Vigo; Tate Liverpool, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg and many others.

John Isaacs lives and works in Berlin.