I always like to start at the very beginning. Where are you from. Where did you study? And, importantly, how did you discover painting as your preferred method of communication?
I grew up in a working class family in the country side of South East Sweden. I had little to no experience of the art world as a child and a teenager, but I loved to draw and spent most of my days doing so. I was trained as a welder, but never really felt at home in that sort of occupation. In my twenties, however, I rather accidentally got a job as a glass engraver (the South East of Sweden is a stronghold for the traditional Swedish glass industry). I was able to work with something creative for the first time in my life, and I loved it. But, after a while I felt the urge to express myself through art and started to paint. I took some art classes during that time, but I don’t really have a traditional art education. I now live and work in Nybro, a small town, not far from where I grew up. I have my atelier in an old Glass Factory called Pukeberg.
What role do fabric and fashion play in your work? Do you consider them separately?
I used to think that art and fashion were two separate things but soon I came to understand that they are both part of a larger context. I work a lot with fabrics in my paintings. In my atelier, I also design my own patterned fabrics that are sewn into clothes and creations for my models to wear as I paint them.
Is it accurate to say that many of the works currently on view are portraits without faces?
Yes. For the last three years, I have worked with this series of paintings, that I call ”Now you see me”, which is also the title of my exhibition in Stockholm. At first, I bought fabrics and clothes that inspired me, but eventually I started to design patterns myself. This way, I am able to use my personal iconography within the fabrics and create a more compelling narrative. I am interested in old tales and symbols as well as designs and iconic images from art history. I am fascinated with secrets. The model is veiled, wrapped in many layers of patterns, like hidden meanings in old stories.
When did you first establish contact with Jun Takahashi?
We first met 2013 in Paris, at Galerie Da-End, where I had my solo exhibition ”The Woods.” As we talked, I think we both felt there was a connection between our work. I think we both in some way strive to reach into other worlds, trying to catch a glimpse of the intangible. He ended up buying a painting of mine, which I believe he has had in his Tokyo studio since then. The following year, he reached out and asked if he could use two of my images for the Undercover fall collection of 2014. He printed them onto gigantic scarfs, they were more like capes. They showed at Palais De Tokyo in Paris during Paris fashion Week.
How do the works about children differ from the latest covered series?
At first, the subjects seem vastly different, but thematically the works are actually still the same. Characters, lost and wandering through forests, moving between different worlds. The humanity of the subjects is less physical and has become more symbolic; Expressing itself through patterns and the way fabric falls around the body.
How does it feel to see your work translated into garments?
It feels great. Jun is such a great artist. I feel that he can really interpret my work and compose it together with his, creating something new and brilliant. It’s not an easy thing to do. I doubt that I would have let anyone else have that kind of creative freedom with my images.
Do you wear the pieces?
Oh, yes, of course.
Do you think there is anything particularly Swedish or Scandinavian about your work?
That’s difficult for me to see as I’m very close to my own work. Maybe it’s obvious for others. Sometimes people mention the forest, or the idea of the forest, which has been a recurring theme for me. I have always been surrounded by deep forests and of course that has
effected me and is a great source of inspiration.
Would you describe your paintings as Maximalist, baroque? What words would you choose?
Maybe something like Magic Realism, Neofigurative and Symbolism.
What are the pluses and minuses of working outside of Stockholm?
The obvious downside of working outside of a big city is the absence of an art scene. But, that absence is at the same time maybe the biggest plus. I think it gives me an opportunity to focus.
What’s next for you?
Next up is a duo exhibition together with my wife, the sculptor Ellen Ehk. It will take place at the VIDA Museum in Sweden, this summer.