SELECTED WORKS 2020



Oakmoss [Evernia prunastri]. Charcoal, soft pastel on kraft paper. 40x50 cm, 2020. SOLD




Drawing No. 8. The loneliness and the shadow. Charcoal, soft pastel on kraft paper. 40x50 cm, 2020.  SOLD

Drawing No. 9. The loneliness and the shadow. Charcoal, soft pastel on kraft paper. 40x50 cm, 2020. SOLD




Another Storm Cloud. Acrylic painting on panel, 35x22 cm. Part of the Beyond near series.




Persona

Origin: early 20th century: Latin, literally ‘mask, character played by an actor’.
Noun: persona  (plural personas or personae)
The aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others: her public persona. In psychology, often contrasted with anima.
• a role or character adopted by an author or an actor.

At the beginning of 2020, Jonas Hellberg, the owner and artistic director at Galleri Persona, I  asked me if I wanted to participate in the premiere show in his newly opened gallery. The theme of the show was the same as the name of the gallery, persona.
     Carl Gustav Jung has been an inspiration to me since the mid-1980s. According to the Jungian psychology, the persona is the mask or appearance one presents to the world. The persona is often a compromise between the individual and her surroundings' expectations, in a sense an idealized edition of oneself. A kind of mask that is designed partly to make an impression on others, and partly to hide the true nature of the individual.

     In the Jungian psychology, symbols have a central role as manifestations of our unconscious and its communication with us. Symbols are everywhere in our lives: i.a. dreams, myths, fairy tales, art, and religion. The house is often a symbol for the self, as a mirror of the self and that was something I took into account when I  developed my concept.
     In the age of digital narcissism, it’s easy to become obsessed with our social media profiles. The online persona, which we are showing the world, becomes the very best version of ourselves and not the full and more true picture who we really are. So what happens when we have this continuous desire to escape into that idealized life?
     My painting, Persona and the Absent Presence, is a symbolic reflection on how this can affect us. When we are self-obsessed with the outside persona and the roles we play, we often become absent on the inside and eventually lose touch with ourselves.


Persona and the Absent Presence. Oil on panel, 100x50 cm. SOLD


            

My Time With You. Oil on panel, 3x 25x25 cm. A series of three paintings arranged vertically as the image to the very left. SOLD


The old abandoned saw mill
Years ago when I was out picking mushrooms, I stumbled upon an abandoned saw mill in the woods. I remember that I didn't find that much mushrooms, but instead the saw mill became a dear place I often visit. Each time I'm there, something has changed. The elements are breaking it down, while the woods are coming closer and are almost embracing the building now. I love to be here and draw accompanied with the resounding silence of the nature.


The old abandoned saw mill I. Charcoal and soft pastell on paper, 30x40 cm. SOLD


The old abandoned saw mill II. Charcoal and soft pastell on paper, 30x40 cm.


The old abandoned saw mill III. Charcoal and soft pastell on paper, 30x40 cm. SOLD



The Old and the New. Acrylic on panel, 15x10 cm. SOLD




All work © Louise Swärdshammar 2020