night for big fires

Tonight we celebrate Valborgsmässoafton here, with big bonfires. I just came back from Slottskogen, smell like a whole fire myself.

The fire was lit, as a later addition to tradition, by the witches from Abunda samba school. They do their best scaring the kids (who love it) and I even saw one of them steal a hot dog!

Strong artist women is needed this night. A while ago Heather shared this link to inspiration:
Squeak Carnwath

and Masala Chai this:
Tayeba Begum Lipi

Now, summer is officially invited.

ceramic x 3

I'm so glad my show was mentioned as one of three gallery shows to visit this week, in Göteborgsposten. Art critic Lisbeth Anhoff highlighted three very different ongoing ceramic shows, thus educating the reader that ceramic is a material and not an artistic expression in itself.

The other two I've seen:
Chris Vicini at Sintra here
But Marianne Hallberg and Kennet Williamsson's Leksaksaffär/Toy shop I must return to see at Galleri Anna H. It was closed Tuesdays, could only see from outside; tempting, but not enough!

Doing all kinds of little things but studio work. Like fixing new keys for the bike, feel like only half a person without it now when summer arrived.

more local happenings

Anna Eggert

Made a very relaxed Konstrunda on Saturday. Sorry for this poor photo report, ran out of camera batteries. They recharged enough to take one photo every half hour, so there is not much to choose from. Wanted to show more from glass and fiber artist Anna Eggert's studio than only the one above, she promised to send me some instead.

Didn't leave Klippan, an area by the river mouth where the buildings used to house a sugar plant and a famous brewery, Carnegie porter. Nowadays all kinds of small manufacturers rent spaces, and many artists studios, here. Here is also Röda Sten contemporary art center where the School of Photography graduate exhibition opened.

Now seems more a time for touring local artlife than web sites and blogs. Must be a combination of approaching summer and season finale for galleries, graduations from schools and such. Haven't been through the whole year cycle of blogging yet, only guessing.

Wish you a Monday full of energy and sun!

double dog at Nääs

Petter Hellsing houses


Margon Lindberg


Delivery to Nääs Konsthantverk shop yesterday, where my work is for sale from now on. Next weekend is the grand opening of their new premises at Nääs slott. They already sneak opened, first the ground floor shop and the gallery upstairs. Next is the cafe and later on, on the top floor, artist in residences and seminars. Lot's of potential!

Here photos from the ongoing exhibition Dubbel hund (Double dog)
Petter Hellsing, embroidery and sculpture
Margon Lindberg, ceramic and photograhy

As always these days I'm behind, show open until Sunday only, well worth a visit. I don't know how much collaboration there is behind their exhibition, but the comments to important global and existential issues seem to stem from interesting discussions. I've admired their individual work before, now even more.

Have a pack of photos from the walk by the lake at Nääs, needs to sort them not to bore you off with all wood anemones.

Off to Majornas konstrunda, wish you an inspiring weekend too!

buttons and shoes

Kerstin Åsling Sundberg's beautiful button weaves hung in the Blue House at Konstepidemin last weeks, but I've been behind and didn't tell you, until now.

Warm days like these, people seem to step out of their shoes and maybe vanish.

Konstrundan, Art Tour, for the tenth year this weekend in Majorna, Göteborg.
28 open studios Saturday, Sunday and Monday night, among them
Anna Eggert, glass artist, studio photo here
Anna Martinsson, jewellery artist
Afsaneh Monemi, ceramic artist
Good luck!

black and white

In shades of black and white, from the ongoing show at Lerverk. This is where all the little pieces ended up.

Had Paulas link wrong yesterday, this is right. She noticed that Jason de Caires Taylor created new underwater sculptures in Canterbury, England.

Smosch reminded about graduating students at HDK, so much creativity, art, designs and ideas in long lists of links here. I'm busy.

Kyu Hwang's lovely blog draw.kyu

wood flowers

Another sunny day, long walk home. Today wood anemones were fully awake.

Paula Lindblom, Göteborg blogger, still shows her work at Kaustik gallery, until the 26th. Jewellery from everyday material, and really nice photos.

At the same street, Eva Dahlin, Konstepidemin artist, opens a show at artist run Galleri 54 tonight. I'm not going to miss it.

Hope I can concentrate better tomorrow, even if it's sunny.

what others do

Two shows at Konstepidemin are over, glad I made it in time to see them:
Bo Söderström's paintings are better shown at his website than in my photos.

In the dark basement of gallery Pannrummet Karin Jonsson created a lovely, noisy installation Hemma hos (At home). Effectively invading a male space with female utensils.

Outside sun is flooding, smell of summer. No work discipline at all.

Thank you Marie-Louise, for reminding us of Hertha Hillfon exhibition in Stockholm. Wish I could see it. Hertha is like an icon for Swedish ceramic artists.
Camilla and Karin upcoming show, if anybody missed Mr Black & Mme Ochre? Looks really inspiring.

Will show more from Lerverk later. The opening was really nice, friends bringing flowers and chocolate. Hope the sun shines over your week too!

for ever flowers

Happy to invite you to the opening of my show at Lerverk here in Göteborg tomorrow, "I glädje och sorg - In joy and sorrow". Some things you have seen before, some development is there, I hope. New are these, the smaller wreaths I've put together lately. It is so much fun, trying to give each one a specific hidden story.

Nearby the sea helped me (thank you! and thank you also for sharing Cathy Cullis work) by asking a clarifying question not long ago. Here is my answer that tells some of what the show is about:

"I'm playing with the idea of flowers used for different occasions...
...The flower you dry and save from a special event, a gift from a lover, the bride's flowers, the harvest celebration, midsummer etc. We try, in vain, to keep the moment knowing it will never come back, but we hope and long to get there again.

Flowers made of ceramic must be the most "immortelle" possible. Another part of the story is that at cemeteries in the South of France the graves are decorated with the most beautifully handmade ceramic flower arrangements, colourfully glazed..."

Then add some folk art inspiration and this is what you get. Wish me luck for tomorrow!
Wish you all a sunny weekend!

inside outside

Was up early today, the wood anemones were not awake yet.

Almost finished hanging the show. Very small sneak peek today, window views. Inside out and outside in. Proper photos will come, today was not the day for taking photos. Today was the day for fixing little details.

My sculptor neighbour Per Agelii added another football sculpture to his blog Lagbygge (Team building). He writes so nice in Swedish, here parts in rough translation:

As a sculptor and leader for a boys football team, the idea of a show with the theme (team building) came up. I want to make the art audience interested in football and the football audience interested in art - Football is art!

...Create identity and interest for the roles on the field. What you do, what is important, the quality of every player...create discussion, how we build the team, how everybody gets involved? Different capacities, when and where are they best used?

Scuplptures shall work a space, just like actors on a stage or a player on a football field. To buid a football team is a proper and good task for sculptures.

Sculptures Around the world. You can add what's missing.

rytmobiles and groovy grass

This can't be a safe house.

Promised to post more Jan Cardell, one of the exhibitors in Italy, who creates the most amazing sound and music sculptures. So sorry I can't do better than this, until his website is fixed.

A small rytmobile is all I can bring you; imagine how a whole orchestra could sound!
For a dance performance by Crowd Company, he made an interactive sound sculpture. A similar sound sculpture was shown at Octava, video here.

We were happy to have Jan at Konstepidemin, until he moved south. Tomorrow I hope I can show a sneak peek from the upcoming show at Lerverk.

ceramic figures

Photos from Shalene Valenzuela website:
Top: Ironing Things Out- Baking, ceramic, 2007
Middle What little girls are made of..., ceramic, 2005
Bottom: Tea Party: Tea for 2, ceramic, 2005

Shalene Valenzuela kindly allowed me to borrow photos from her website. At first they look so sweet, so sweet, but when you take a closer look... I appreciate her work a lot. See more here.

Ceramic figures by Vipoo,
via feffakookan

Almost finished mounting my pieces, most is packed for upcoming show. Having inner conversations with myself, telling me to be content with what is in the boxes. Next step was within reach but not possible to take yet, time to short. Be content and then continue.

norwegian light treatment

Very energetic studio day because of all this Norwegian light over the weekend. Spring shocked. Even if it's cloudy, reflections are so strong you must wear sunglasses or it hurts. Up and down all day long, loved every minute.

Bjørn Rune Lie, must be Norwegian, illustrations
via Mecozy

Ingrid Askeland, ceramic artist

swedish footballs

This blog is normally ad free, today is an exception, in Swedish :)

Hjälp femtonåriga tjejer som älskar att spela fotboll att få ihop pengar för att resa till USA CUP i sommar.

Köp deras singel "Fotboll i mitt hjärta" här!
Fotboll i mitt hjärta blogg här.

Sprid gärna länkarna till fotbollsnördar du känner!

(Girl football team raising money for trip to USA CUP this summer)