Bibbi Forsman

agneta spångberg - queen of tiles

2012-02-12T13:18:00.000+01:00

Recent visit at Galleri Anna H, Agneta Spångberg showed her colorful earthenware. The show is over yesterday, more Agneta here:
konsthantverkscentrum.se/medlem/Agneta-Sp%C3%A5ngberg

Agneta's Cocktaildress at Stockholm Furniture Fair here...

getting started

2012-02-07T09:40:00.000+01:00

I'm slowly getting started with my commissions. First all those boring preparations before getting hands on. Teenage assistant great help assorting all old pieces stashed in buckets everywhere, while I make slip tests, order this and that and most of all clear my space. New order.

Another bigger Art Factory at Konstepidemin - Pia König's 600 small sculptures for the hotel rooms at newly opened Clarion Post hotel in Göteborg. Artists Per Agelii and Per Petersson help her with this huge undertaking, along with other helping hands.
From the factory at Konstepidemin here...
and Camilla Engman's blog here...

icy world

2012-02-06T09:21:00.002+01:00

Freezing cold in Göteborg, as all over Europe. But the light is incredible!

I've linked to Anna-Sofia Mååg before, she works with ice and cold as an expression,
even with ice bergs...

I've been busy

2012-01-25T13:17:00.001+01:00

I've been busy doing one more sketch work for a competition. It is my ceramic wet dream, honestly, a swim bath, in Växjö. This time it didn't come true, fully, but I will get the chance to test some ideas in real life. I will make a part of the larger commission, in a mix of mosaic and tiles. Maria Ängkvist Klyvare will make the walls in the rehab swimming pool rooms. Not a bad choice!

And I will keep on waiting for the total swim bath commission to come my way...To be part of a sketch commission like this feels like getting a grant and time to develop ideas.

Morten Löbner Espersen have an exhibition in Berlin:
bruttogusto.com

goodbye 2011 - welcome 2012

2011-12-31T17:52:00.002+01:00

Some say 2011 was a crappy year but I don't really agree. A lot of confusion and energy much too fragmented in wrong directions, a lot of changes, yes, but not that bad after all.

I welcome the new opportunities that the new year brings :) All the best for us all; Happy New Year! I wish for focus and clarity, joy and light.

One highlight from 2011 above: a long walk in the woods up north a hot Midsummer Day. It's only half a year away.

Fireworks by Cai Guo-Qiang: Black ceremony
Exhibition at Arab Museum of Mosern art in Qatar

Happy holidays!

2011-12-24T10:26:00.001+01:00

Wish you all a Christmas full of joy and peace and love!

This year will be a city holiday, I look forward to relax a lot! And also find time to do all the little things that lie around waiting for attention. I wish you find the time to do what you need the most, too!

Thank you so much Ida Lindberg for the supertasty knäck! If there was only one left i would have posted a photo...

about time for rabbits

2011-12-12T10:46:00.001+01:00

So, this is one of the things I've been busy with, a commission for a nursing home for elderly people, with dementia. And it will keep me busy all spring, I'm so happy.

It is an inner yard that was already planned by the landscape architects. It is accessible for wheel chairs, all the plants are in flowerbeds raised from the ground.

I saw the drawing as a baroque garden and played around with the ornaments and elements. The yellow shapes will be made in mosaic, the same level as the plants. They can be seen from above as well and one can put a cup of coffee on top. I will make a blue ceramic border to the mid rectangle and most surprising to me; two rabbits jumped up from somewhere and wanted to join. They will be ceramic but I wish there could be live rabbits with soft fur to stroke, as well.

It's been interesting to read the research about perception of people with dementia, their world is a bit different and there are rules to follow not to confuse them. Contrast, clear colours, no smallscale patterns, figurative before abstract in short.

Thank you Charlotta Klingström, for telling me to update! Preparations are time consuming this time of the year, it's easy to run too fast. Camera is full of photos meant for the blog.

Sad ladies

2011-10-17T16:32:00.001+02:00

Friday evening was the big event "Kulturnatta" here in Göteborg, one big social and cultural happening all over the city all night. I stayed at one place only, very conveniant as so many friends passed by while I sat comfortably on my barstool :)

Lots of Göteborg artists donated work that was all exhibited and sold to support "Faktum", a local magazine supporting the homeless. Read more here, and links to all artists:
www.d-i-y.se/DIY/Medverkande_Konstnarer.html

I am now the lucky owner of two very sad looking watercolor ladies by Amalia Kenamets.

Alexandra Hedberg was there, both with artwork and in person, look...

a day in the park

2011-10-02T23:24:00.001+02:00

In the park nearby, Slottskogen. We've had summer again for a couple of days :)

Karin Karinson Nilsson ceramics - Objects of desire - a window show at Sintra right now. Also Åsa Greaker (but I can't find a good link for her so you must go there and see yourself).
Karin Östberg in the gallery.

packing in and packing up

2011-09-30T09:25:00.000+02:00

The exhibition at Nääs, about sustainable building, is over. We have emptied our mini cottage. The Östersund exhibition is also over. Studio chaos, boxes everywhere.

Reena Kallat, India - one of the artists in the ongoing Gothenburg International Art Biennial
So far I've only seen half of it but there is still time, until November :)

ardmore ceramics, south africa

2011-09-26T14:40:00.005+02:00

At Kiasma, the museum for contemporary art in Helsinki, is right now a big exhibition with Africa-connected artworks. Among others in the ARS 2011 exhibition:

Ardmore Ceramic Art produces stunning ceramic pieces, by over 80 artists in South Africa. It is a ceramic training center, an art gallery and at the same time they work with AIDS prevention.

The studio is a beautiful success story, visit their web site and see so much more of the beautiful ceramics, color and decor; from small tea cups to unique master pieces...
www.ardmoreceramics.co.za

Above are collaborative work by Sfiso Mvelase, Roux Gwala, Elias Lulanga and Andrew Sokhela

helsinki; skatudden facades

2011-09-24T18:22:00.000+02:00

I've been to Finland, just a short conference trip about artists' mobility and residencies, for Konstepidemin. Helsinki is a charming city, the architecture is a total mix of the Russian, the national romantic, the jugend, the Swedish and the contemporary. From under my umbrella this is what I saw on the morning walk Thursday.

Facades from the early 1900s in Katajanokka.

Anu Tuominen, great Finnish artist.

100 rings at hnoss

2011-09-19T22:46:00.000+02:00

At Konstepidemin until Oct 9: All previous exhibitors at Hnoss gallery was invited to show one ring, the most important piece of jewellery, in the final show at the gallery. Some sent a piece from their exhibition but many made a new ring for the occasion. It is an amazing show, one must look closely. All the rings will be on tour, after this to Tallinn.

Scroll down and see all 100 rings here...

östersund report

2011-09-18T10:00:00.001+02:00

Normally a timber wall like that is painted red in Sweden, green was a surprise in one of the many nice yards to explore in Östersund.

Another exhibition going on there now: Konstepidemin neighbor Zsuzsanna Gilice is also exhibiting right now, at Ahlbergshallen.

An article about her, with photos, in Swedish: Östersundsposten...

Her webpage...

We shared the transport issue, and I found the friendly Östersund based company Ville Karlssons Åkeri. If you ever need to send your stuff there, here is the address.

Thank you for the Mus-Olle tip, Paula! Just outside of Östersund is a collectors museum, open summertime. Next time :)

It's over in Alingsås

2011-09-12T09:36:00.001+02:00

The summer exhibition in Alingsås Konsthall is over. The summer itself seems over.

I was the driver also for getting co-exhibitor jewellery artist Paula Lindblom's work to Göteborg, these are her pieces in the show.

my show up north

2011-09-07T20:53:00.002+02:00

They say up north though there is almost half a Sweden left, on the map.

Pics from my exhibition at Drejeriet. In joy and sorrow, once more. Neverending story.
The local papers wrote (Swedish only)
Länstidningen review... and Östersundsposten interview... and Östersundsposten review...

I feel like a celebrity.

mountain break - östersund

2011-09-02T22:28:00.001+02:00

Annika Persson

Björn Dahlström

I'm being so well taken care of by artists Annika Persson and Björn Dahlström from the Drejeriet shop and gallery in Östersund. Everything is ready for the opening tomorrow, there was time enough for a visit at Härke art center and the studios of Annika and Björn.

If I had a view like that I would never work, just look out. And if I had a summer place like theirs, I would never leave home. Lovely evening!

fresh from the kiln

2011-08-30T00:30:00.000+02:00

New things for the exhibition in Östersund later this week. I surprised myself with a new pink slip this summer.

New blog by Gothenburg ceramic artist:
Marianne Hallberg

tiles by gunilla råberg

2011-08-28T11:57:00.001+02:00

I share the exhibition space at Nääs with Gunilla Råberg and Anita Carlsson (her work in this post...). One of the mini-cottages in the Nääs exhibition is filled with our ceramics, meant for public and private spaces.

These are the fine bathroom tiles by Gunilla (who also opened her show Vitt/White at blås & knåda yesterday). Subtle and strong at the same time.
www.gunillaraberg.se

The mini cottage exhibition at Nääs is open one more week, until Sept 4.
www.bvn.se

LAB 2011 - biennial in the north

2011-08-13T10:16:00.003+02:00

This summer was the first time I could visit the art biennial in Luleå: LAB 11. It is truly inviting, welcomes applications from all over the world. The biennial is the work of a group of artists, local art heroes!!! They are also behind the snow sculpture event that takes place every year. And now the webpage keeps me busy:
Kilen Art Group

Above: only two of my favorite pieces at the biennial by Sarawut Chutiwongpeti, Thailand and Roger Rigorth, Germany (download a so inspiring catalogue with his work here)

Another is a video I wanted to go swimming by two Finnish artists Marjukka Korhonen and Raimo Uunila, so clever. They are part of the Waterscape Project (link to blog) where you can see the film and other art projects about the water of our planet.

And there is so much more here, at Kilen...

cooler

2011-08-08T15:47:00.000+02:00

It's getting a bit cooler, I'm afraid most of the summer is gone. There is still more to share; what I will remember from this summer: having lunch in Karin's garden.

Bronwyn Oliver sculptures at Red Bubble
and more here...
I also like her earlier works.

what I am doing

2011-08-01T18:37:00.001+02:00

For the Östersund show in September: the space is a nice, small room with a checkered red and white tile floor and the walls a mix of white plaster and red bricks. I felt a need to connect with the materials. So, I dug deep and found some old dark red earthenware clay, dry and hard as stone. After some days it was great to work with again and turned into smaller wreaths.

I stick to a theme of joy and sorrow.
For every clay leaf I put there, I think of all the sorrow that friends and families of the victims in Norway feel. So much sorrow. No joy.

Shelley Martin vitrifiedstudio.wordpress.com so generously shares ceramic artists that she finds inspiring, and I'm delighted and thankful to be posted as one of them. Simple handmade ceramic forms, a long list since March this year.
Her work blog here: vitrifiedstudiowork.wordpress.com/

summer trip: rainy days in the south

2011-07-31T08:38:00.001+02:00

A couple of lovely days in Skåne, south Sweden; rain drizzling softly. Long walks, long talks, long reads and enjoyable company.

Charlotta Klingström prepares a show in Stockholm...

Summer trip: Hovs Hallar

2011-07-30T12:37:00.000+02:00

At one of the finest spots for a long walk in Skåne, Hovs Hallar, we discovered a high quality craft gallery/shop. Bissa G Segersson is a member of the Stockholm group Blås&knåda and moved to south Sweden some years ago. She started the summer gallery in one of the houses of the former farm house where they live and work.

In the shop is work by her blås&knåda colleagues and in the gallery room an exclusive little show with well known ceramic artist Kennet Williamsson. Tomorrow is the final day!

The view over the sea is also worth looking at and they have a lovely little mini house for rent close by.
http://bissa.se/gallerihh.htm

studio confusion

2011-07-21T12:33:00.000+02:00

In between short summer trips I do studio work, that is the best holiday. Having time off from office work is a treat, but things are confused in the studio. In September I have a show up north in Östersund, at an artist run ceramic gallery and shop Drejeriet. I haven't been totally sure of what to bring and now suddenly time seems very short.
Over summer Drejeriet show members' work only: drejeriet-keramik.se