Recommendation for 2D graphic manager

Hello! I’m making an action RFP using Java Swing, I’ve improved the game a lot since I started but what I still don’t like is the Swing features… I lost unexpected time learning layouts, the Swing AWT threading model, etc., and I still see Java Swing as ugly and I’m not sure of how much I’ll be able to decorate it with my own graphics.

So, I’m not asking advice for a Game Framework (I practically made my own) but for a Graphic library… like SDL in C, which I could use for fullscreen gaming, but I would like it to have a nice UI model (buttons, labels, etc). Is there something better than Swing for that? If not, can Java Swing be “tweaked” to simulate a game interface? (eg. change system resolution, fullscreen mode, etc.)

Thanks!