Ernst Billgren
Covered by droit de suite
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"Rida ranka"
Signed EB. Executed in 2010. Oil on panel and glass 122 x 117 cm including mosaic frame.
Provenance
Galerie Anhava, Helsingfors.
Exhibitions
Galerie Anhava, Helsingfors, ”Ernst Billgren – Förbättrad finsk konsthistoria”, 6 May – 30 July 2010.
Literature
Galerie Anhava; ”Ernst Billgren – Förbättrad finsk konsthistoria”, 2010, exhibition catalogue, illustrated p. 41.
More information
In 2010 Galerie Anhava and Ateneum hosted the exhibition ”Ernst Billgren – Förbättrad finsk konsthistoria”/"Finnish Art Improved". It was an exhibition in which Ernst Billgren presented his own versions of works of the so-called Golden Age of Finnish art in the collection of the Ateneum.
This is the gallerys press release:
"Some of the pieces are very similar to the originals, while others contain only hints of them. The composition may be similar, although the theme has changed – of course for the better. The colours of the works create their own Billgren reality, and all of us who believe our eyes are mystics. Von Wright's classic birds can turn into clumsy wooden dummies, or his wood grouse can become a vintage American automobile, and Hugo Simberg's Wounded Angel remains as touching as ever.
The works are painted with skill, airily and wonderfully, as only Billgren knows how."
Artist
Ernst Billgren was born in Stockholm in 1957 and studied at Valand Academy from 1982 up until 1987. His artistic career is marked by remarkable diversity, which is quite unique in the Swedish art scene. He is a painter, printmaker, sculptor, author, debator and also worked in film and stage design. His artistic production spans over a multitude of disciplines, encompassing painting, sculpting, set design, furniture design, literature, film, and music. Across these diverse fields is a distinguishable continuity of nature, national romanticism, and mythology. Billgren demonstrates great craftmanship by being able to work in numerous materials such as mosaic, wood, bronze, cement, tile and glass. The defining characteristic of Billgren is his his bold approach to challenging conventional ideas of what constitutes good art. He blends fine art with kitsch and introduces animals and birds into refined settings, blurring traditional boundaries.
Ernst Billgren's work is known for its ability to provoke and leave a lasting impression, ensuring that viewers are engaged and often stirred by his unconventional artistic expressions.