ARTWORK EXPLAINED
About "Emotions 6/6 (2003)
There's always some man (if you're a heterosexual woman) out there prepared to come to your rescue, all geared up to be helpful and protective. But most of them don't really see what's right in front of them, what IS rather than what they EXPECT. They are working hard on seeing what they are in for (symbolized by the lantern) but as long as they are blindfolded (meaning that on a deeper level they are unwilling to face the truth) this will not help. The picture is also about water, which is a symbol of the sea of emotions. The trouble is, when you're emotionally needy you easily attract men or women with a saviour's complex. This is not good, they are not in it for the real reasons. The only real reason is love. If these people are brave enough to see the truth about you (and your condition), sometimes you can help untie the fold. Otherwise you must say goodbye.
About "Me Myself and I" (2008)
In the middle, there is a picture drawn by myself when I was only a few years old. The Pippi Longstockings colouring book tells you the following in Swedish: "Here you can draw the thieves and the treasure throve with gold money in it, or anything else that you find interesting". I drew a sad Pippi, that tough girl who seems to have lost her strength in this drawing. The Siamese twins represent the two aspects of myself; the one that aspires spiritually and has no worldly worries, and the other that suffers from the challenges in the physical realm. They are irrevocably interlinked, and the way I see it they are the two sides of one coin. Life is a play of dualism... You can't have light if you don't have darkness, or know the joys of wellbeing if you haven't known ill health. This piece also speaks of a dialogue between the lower and the higher level of existence, and of an integration of the psyche which basically means that many things have been processed and accepted for what they are.
About "The Bride of Two Worlds" (2000)
This piece is from the year 2000; at the time I was single. Yellow and blue are strong opposites, which denote a dilemma; blue stands for spiritual, yellow worldly and mental. The chequered floor stands for dualism, the basic nature of our reality. The virginal figure has accepted her destiny, and is now waiting to see whether she is to go through one or the other door; for the moment she is unable to see the options clearly. It is a time of possibilities and a celebration of life, but also of choices that are potentially difficult. Her white dress is lined with fire, speaking of a paradox where innocence or purity and fiery passion (spiritual and worldly) are joined together. The bride is undecided about which way to go, but is quietly contemplating the fact that there is not really a true dilemma to speak of. Worldly and Spiritual are not incompatible.
About "The Heart" (2000)
In this image, paradoxes are strongly present; the light bird speaks of a higher dimension, while at the same time the dark bird expresses the idea that the lower dimension is also spiritual. From a spiritual point of view, both are thus of the same value. The truth about the nature of reality is not always what we expect, therefore the window frame is a sky. At the centre of the subjective reality is a rose, the symbol of soulfulness and spiritual viability. This kind of picture is a mandala.
About "As Long As There is Hope, There is Life" (2008)
This piece is expressing the sense of incubation, while trying to become a more functioning person with symbolic wings... (I often depict myself with only one wing). Sometimes we can get too insular and may need a helping hand from somewhere else even when we have learnt to be self-sufficient in a world that has little empathy for our problems. The angel could be another person. They may hold that one thing we need in order to get out of our stifled situation. The egg not only symbolizes rebirth, but also wholeness. However, there can be no life without the occasional breaking of this state of wholeness, thus we must allow chaos to enter our lives at times.
About "The Art of Survival" (2008)
As
a child, I felt that I had to take care of the adults. It was heavy
work and it made me emotionally closed off, which is symbolized by
the snow. It was really all like a circus act of trying to keep the
balance. As an adult, things looked alright on the surface. But it
was really just a show. Doom and gloom and the wish for death were
lurking in the corner. Yet there was always that little thing called
hope, the sprout that kept me going.
About "Insomnia" (2011)
I did this piece to accompany an article about the trials of insomnia. The pattern in the background are brainwaves. I hope the piece is self-explanatory. Read the original uncut article here.
EXHIBITIONS
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Vibrations from the Dimension of Silence
(Exhibition 1998)
When I look out towards the world, the world comes to greet me. The moment I perceive myself in the vast mirror of reality, I come to being. I am able to see myself - my shape, my features, my thoughts, my feelings, and my soul. All this is being born in the interaction between me and my environment, because it is the experience of this constellation that helps me redefine myself. Books, pictures, objects, people... all these things help me see and understand myself. The encounter lends me the mirror. Without this mirror I am not able to grow, change and become whole.
Lessons of Time
(Group Exhibition 2003)
The exhibition deals with introspection and insights in regard to earlier traumas, as well as love relationships which often carry traits of problems that have not been solved. It’s possible to read the artwork as a story; vulnerability and fear are connected to thoughts about destiny and the wounds that one has been inflicted with during one’s life. The advice other people give often harm more than they help. The quest for love is confusing when you realize that you can’t get all that you need from a partner. Expectations, broken promises and disappointments may however in the best of cases lead to a freedom of the fear of loneliness, liberation and a greater focus on one’s own creativity as a source of satisfaction.
Twists of Fate
(Exhibition 2009)
The
exhibition deals with introspection and insights in regard to earlier
traumas, as well as love relationships which often carry traits of
problems that have not been solved. It’s possible to read the
artwork as a story; vulnerability and fear are connected to thoughts
about destiny and the wounds that one has been inflicted with during
one’s life. The advice other people give often harm more than they
help. The quest for love is confusing when you realize that you can’t
get all that you need from a partner. Expectations, broken promises
and disappointments may however in the best of cases lead to a
freedom of the fear of loneliness, liberation and a greater focus on
one’s own creativity as a source of satisfaction.
Garlands of Freshly Cut Tears
(First Exhibition in the UK, 2010)
Due to various challenges, I have experienced the social status of someone that society thinks of as second-rate. All in all, even though the themes may appear dark at times, my images are usually imbued with a desire to overcome adversity. Although I started out by drawing and painting on paper (mixed media, in other words), I resorted to the creation of collages due to physical difficulties. I am fascinated with the interaction between a particular feeling, state of being or social critique that enters my mind and the images that I discover and compile to match these visions. I enjoy the communication that takes place between me and the collective. I also add my own visual elements such as personal photos and drawings. My aim is to present my personal sphere of reference in relation to the rest of the world in symbolic terms, as I find symbols a powerful way of conveying a mixture of thoughts and feelings. My symbolic language is in parts universal, in parts personal. I feel affinity with artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Gustav Klimt, Renée Magritte and Frida Kahlo. I say with Frida Kahlo that although my art may appear surreal, this is not quite true since I actually express my own reality and not a fabricated one.
