Astrid Sylwan, “Lately”

Stockholm, 14.1–21.2  2010

Astrid Sylwan, born 1970, graduated from Konstfack in 2005. She has always been working in a field traditionally dominated by men: abstract, often large-scale, painting.  The figurative very seldom enters Sylwan’s world, it is the colour that plays the main part. Not only colour as shade, but also as a physical presence. Sylwan uses all the physical characteristics of the colour when she applies it to the canvas with broad brushes, colour knives or scrapers, or pours it over the canvas in pools and lets it run across the surface in large drops.

For Lately at Galleri Andersson/Sandström, a catalogue has been produced, containing a text about Sylwan’s painting by Sophie Allgårdh, art critic in Svenska Dagbladet and editor-in-chief of Swedish art magazine Paletten. Allgårdh describes Sylwan’s painting as portraying “an exuberant lust for life and an exhilaration in the harsh light of day”.

Two series of new works are shown in the exhibition: the triptych Long Summer Day and a series of smaller snap-shot-like paintings, called Moments. In Long Summer Day Astrid Sylwan uses her characteristic palette, with clear, strong colours, but the idiom is more playful and free than earlier. Moments is a series of small paintings with different temperament and tone, each bearing witness of the moment in which it was created.

Astrid Sylwan has in a short period of time had great success in Swedish art life. She has been awarded the Fogelquist, Peter Dahl and Bærtling stipends. During 2009-10 two of her paintings are show in the touring Carnegie Art Award Exhibition, which reaches Stockholm during spring 2010. Her work has also been shown at large solo exhibitions in Eskilstuna konstmuseum, Skövde konsthall and Olle Nymans ateljé in Saltsjö-Duvnäs, and participated in group exhibitions at Borås konstmuseum, Rackstadmuseet in Arvika and Linköpings konsthall. Works by Astrid Sylwan can be found in several prominent collections, eg. Moderna museet, Statens konstråds and Malmö konstmuseum.

Galleri Andersson/Sandström has worked with Astrid Sylwan since her graduation from Konstfack in 2005. This is the gallery’s third exhibition with Sylwan. The two earlier exhibitions took place in Umeå in 2006 and 2008.