helga henschen - for peace

The art work in Tensta underground station in Stockholm is made by artist, poet, author Helga Henschen, 1975. She was an important political artist in the seventies and an inspiration for many.

Brochure, in Swedish but with lots of photos, about the art in all the stations download here

late last Stockholm Furniture Fair: Catarina Larsson

Final fellow exhibitor at the Stockholm Furniture Fair: Textile artist Catarina Larsson doubled, both in KHVCs stand and sharing a stand with Tony Abrahamsson. Catarina's large lightings also hang permanently in the exhibitors restaurants at the fair. Light and shadow, so clever.

Hope all is well with fellow bloggers!
Alexandra Hedberg's ambitious interviews about art as business.
Very interesting!

And so is David Karlsson! Swedish only: David hoppade av sitt uppdrag som sekreterare i Kulturutredningen efter ett år. Nu har han skrivit en mycket klok bok med utgångspunkt i det arbetet och som en alldeles egen och alldeles fantastiskt klok kulturutredning. Jag sträckläser och gläds. Beställ den här: En kulturutredning: pengar, konst och politik, Glänta förlag

Sorry for the break, I wasn't finished with co-exhibitors at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. A cold in combination with tax declaration came in the way, but here is two more of my colleagues at the fair:

Ceramic artist Åsa Berntsson's cobble stones silently speaks to you, sometimes raising a provoking thought and sometimes just reminds you to live. Lyssna = Listen. For us living in Göteborg the coble stone has it's own meaning, from the demonstrations and riots at the EU top meeting a few years back. A single stone can be used in many different ways, placed on the table of a companie's board meeting it can also be a reminder of different values.

Stefan Forsberg's oak bench makes you think about time as an important factor in the crafts. Oak, being so hard and difficult, and so strong and majestic.

Have a lovely weekend! I think we must say farewell to some of the snow now, maybe it's time.

fredrika linder at the furniture fair

Fredrika's glass walls are magical objects. Don't ask me how they are made, but the glass bubbles are hand blown and they shift in colours with some mystical lighting. See more of Fredrika's glass here.

If you are in Göteborg:
Tomorrow Tuesday Serena Holm gives a talk at Röhsska, about her jewellery "Wearable art".

Two little birds opened a combined café and craft gallery at the very best street Andra Långgatan no 5. First out in the gallery is Karin Esbjörnsson, ceramic. Organic coffee and up and coming craft artists, what a good combination.

irina my lindqvist at the fair

'

Co exhibitor Irina My Lindqvist, glass artist and designer, showed unique glass sculptures, trophies made in the exclusive graal technique. She combines this traditional technique with a new expression of her own, much more to be seen at Irina's web page.

Peaceful Sunday morning, we are snowed in here. The world is all white and soft again.

tina l. frausin at the fair

Tina showed pieces of a commission, a mix of hand tufted textile and sand casted illuminated shapes. It's inspired by the coral reefs, and originally created as a commission for a hospital in Uddevalla. More photos from the big colorful piece to be seen at Tina's web page.

Konstepidemin's gallery is at a totally different fair; Supermarket Art Fair, 60 artist run galleries and such at Kulturhuset Stockholm. Seems a lot of fun.
www.supermarket.se

Åsa Maria Hedberg at the fair

Plaited clay! Åsa Maria Hedberg brought her ceramic stems from Östersund, where she lives and works. She has a blog where you can see how one is made for a specific site, 9,5 m high.
asamariahedberg.blogspot.com

Eva Davidsson at the fair

 

Next fellow exhibitor at Stockholm Furniture Fair: Eva Davidsson's whimsical, pretty flower lamps are handdyed/pleated in shibori technique. They were shortlisted for a Design of the year award lately. Eva sells her work at Konsthantverkarna in Stockholm, among other places. No web site, yet...

Ulrika Krynitz, Stockholm Furniture Fair

 

  

Ulrika Krynitz, Urnatur, showed a carpet designed for golfers at Stockholm Furniture Fair. Very popular with playful people of all ages. Besides creating lovely green design she runs a wood hermitage from April to October, eco lodge for retreats or meetings, one can sleep in treehouses or moss huts. Click around the webpage and enjoy the photos!

www.urnatur.se

web shop

Fun at the fair

It was so much fun to be at the Stockholm Furniture Fair! A bit like being in an isolated and inspiring bubble, the days passed amazingly fast. And it was really rewarding, I've met people interested in my work in different ways and had so much useful feedback. It was worth all the time and effort coming there, for sure.

The KHVC stand presents ten craft artists that works with public spaces in different ways. Meeting them was also a reward. We made a great team!  The stand was popular with visitors, we've been very busy. If there was a more quiet moment we had a lot to talk about. There is so much to learn from your colleagues. I will post photos of their work too, one by one.

The fair is still on, Saturday afternoon it opens to the public.
www.stockholmfurniturefair.com

the state of things

Moving back and forth in time...

When I was in Stockholm: spent a Sunday in there this summer, a stopover between trains. Didn't do much more than see all three exhibitions at Kulturhuset, the major focus this summer is on craft and applied arts in "The State of Things". A display on what's up right now, and some voices from the last 20 years. So many craft artists with so many different expressions and reflections all over the house, impressive! "Don’t say anything, I think I understand" was the one where I felt most connected, curated by Göteborg based Love Jönsson.

The exhibitions are open until September 13 and there is a side program, workshops, artist talks and discussions.
www.kulturhuset.stockholm.se

stockholm colors

Just a few more Stockholm photos, because of the beautiful colors (and to you, Mansuetude). Stockholm has the colours of Rome. Maybe the Nobel prize winners went home, think I saw some of their family members outside Grand Hotel last week.

I find it hard to concentrate on working, now when my schedule was stretched there is more room to feel tired, I guess. And it is the darkest week of the year, that is reason enough to feel sleepy. And relax.

Tara Books, see how the lovely, lovely books are hand made video
Mårten Medbo show in Sheboygan, WI, USA

among sailors

When in Stockholm we stayed at Drottning Viktorias örlogshem, simple but nice accomodation, in the very center. First and foremost it's for people in the navy and military, which creates a special atmosphere. Very male and at the same time like visiting an old aunt.

Kurbits, a Stockholm based craft blog blog I just recently discovered. Good links too.

south side craft shops

There are several artist run craft shops where I took my morning walk in Stockholm, lined up from Slussen to the street Hornsgatan. Had to press my nose to the shop windows, they were not open yet that early.

First Konsthantverkarna, with the most members.
Then blås&knåda, and on the way there the huge pot made by Gertrud Båge, Rigmor Roxner and Margon Lindberg. The Glassery is yhe youngest craft gallery here. And finally Kaolin. The last two are located where Hornsgatan makes a big bump, Hornsgatspuckeln. All of them are dressed up for Christmas.

monday morning old town walk

I was in Stockholm for two days, attending meetings, fruitful and inspiring. This is the first part of the early morning Old Town walk. Stockholm is a beautiful city, a town for walking.

Top photo is the City Hall, where in this very moment the Nobel Prize winners have their dinner, followed by the Parlament building and the Royal Castle (where the royalties doesn't live these days).

Rhonda Hill other landscapes
Other buildings