Bukowskis presents the work ”Tre målare” by Linn Fernström at this autumn's live auction, Contemporary Art & Design – Scandinavia's leading auction for contemporary art and design.
Linn Fernström's “Tre Målare” is a captivating work that invites the viewer to dive into the artist's self-reflective world. In this painting, Fernström depicts herself in three different self-portraits, capturing the moment of painting dragonflies - a symbolic and recurring motif in her art. These self-portraits serve as portals to a deeper conversation about identity, creativity and the mysteries of nature, allowing the viewer to reflect on their own relationship to art and reality.
In “Tre Målare”, nature and animals are central elements. Birds soaring through the painting remind us of freedom and transcendence, while dragonflies represent fragility and transformation. At the same time, the child placed in the painting with the artist creates an additional dimension of innocence and wonder, which is characteristic of Fernström's work. The painting's subtle balance between the real and the unreal, between fantasy and the concrete presence of nature, gives a sense of being in a borderland where anything is possible.
In the present work, traditional representation is transcended and instead becomes a reminder of what lies beyond our senses. Fernström's paintings are both delicate and powerful, capturing the viewer with their sharp detail and ability to illuminate existential questions. Through her skillful technique and artistic courage, she creates a world where the otherworldly and the everyday meet, inviting the viewer to confront questions about the nature of reality and dreams.
Fernström uses her body as a tool for storytelling, giving her work a deeply personal character. In the auction painting, she invites the viewer to explore both the inner and outer worlds, where the composition is both playful and serious. The dramatic contrast between the bright, open backgrounds and the lively, almost hypnotic figures makes the viewer completely absorbed in the work.
Linn Fernström, born in Örebro in 1974, is one of Sweden's most prominent contemporary artists with a career that spans international galleries and institutions, including Liljevalchs Konsthall and the Venice Biennale. She studied at Idun Lovén and the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm (1995-2000) and made her breakthrough in 2001 at Lars Bohman Gallery. Her work, which often depicts people and animals in surrealist settings, explores themes such as death, love and man's relationship with nature, which has captivated both Swedish and international viewers.
With its strong presence and complex expression, “Tre Målare” captures the essence of Linn Fernström's art, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurred, and the viewer is given the opportunity to meet both the artist and the universe she creates.