Fuktig stilla vagga, Konstfack

Moist, still, cradle at Konstfack 2022
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My degree project Moist, still, cradle consists of paintings in which I have worked with themes based on bodily experiences. I have therefore chosen a format close to my own body size. The scale helps me reach a state of ”flow”. An unconditional existence where I gain access to body memories in my artistic process. When I extend my arms, my hands just about reach around the painting’s outer edges. The edges are central in the project. The edge opens up the possibility for me to relay the painting process to the viewer. When that edge is allowed to represent the process, there is a time shift from the act of painting to the present.

I work with friction in my painting. Therefore, I sometimes replace the brushes with everyday objects in order to create resistance. When I paint and using non traditional painting tools like for instance a tire, it does result in an imprint. Through gestural painting, I manage to reach the unconditional presence. During the execution, there is no room for second attempts; the gestural painting is a quick process with only one try. If I let myself doubt, it is reflected in the result.

The combination of abstractions and natural phenomena—which are an important part of my art— is strongly linked to memories of being physically present in different geographical locations. I am also interested in the movement between these places; the journeys between the fixed and the temporary points of my life. In practice, commuting between urban and rural areas has a decisive impact on my colour choices. In the city, I never experience real darkness, nor silence. In the countryside, on the other hand, the circadian rhythm and transitions of light are constantly present.The lack of these phenomena has affected the theme of my painting and aroused my interest in light as well as my preference for colours reminiscent of nature. In the studio, where my need for silence is constant, I try to recreate these moods.