Aug 29 - Sept 27
PER B SUNDBERG
Per B. Sundberg, born April 2, 1964, is a Swedish ceramic and glass artist. Until 2005, Sundberg worked at Orrefors and then as a professor at Konstfack (until 2011) and an independent artist.
He was educated at Capellagården and Konstfack. Since Sundberg also masters the craft as a glassblower, he has a unique position among Sweden's glass artists. In 2004, he was noticed with a separate exhibition at the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, called "Greatest Hits 1983-2004". In 2005, he received the first Form Scholarship from the Visual Artists' Fund. In the summer of 2011, his ceramics were exhibited in a separate exhibition at Gustavsbergs Konsthall. In November 2014, Sundberg received the Swedish Visual Artists' Fund's Large Scholarship. He is cohabiting with the artist Cecilia Elde.
A starting point in the many of Sundberg's works of art is nature. Animals and plants are present in often unexpected compilations; sometimes humorously presented, sometimes more thoughtfully. In glass art, Sundberg often uses inlaid images in the form of decals, used at the old porcelain factory in Gustavsberg with properties to withstand high temperatures. The embedded images often contrast with each other, which creates tension in the work. Sundberg also uses decals in his ceramic art, as well as ceramic figurines from flea markets. Unexpected encounters occur here between sculpted nature and combinations of figurines. In some works, both in glass and ceramics, Sundberg discusses the concept of function. Is a particular function linked to a particular shape? - is one of the questions he examines. Common to Sundberg's art is the sculptural expression.
Per B. Sundberg grew up in Huddinge. He trained in the ceramics line at Capellagården in Vickleby on Öland 1983-1985. During the years 1985-1992, he studied glass and ceramics at the School of Art in Stockholm, with a break in 1988 to study at Pilchuck Glass School in the state of Washington in the USA. After completing his studies, Per B. Sundberg has established himself as a glass and ceramic artist. He mostly creates unique art objects or public decorations. After graduating from the School of Art, some fellow students established a glass business on Fjäderholmarna, at the entrance to Stockholm. There, Sundberg blew glass, among other things together with Gunilla Kihlgren and Mårten Medbo. In the years 1994-2005, Per B. Sundberg was employed at Orrefors glassworks. His glass art also attracted international attention, where purchases were made by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, among other places. Meanwhile at Orrefors, Sundberg developed new glass techniques. The "Fabula technology" is based on Orrefors' classic grail glass technology. Heat-resistant decals are glued to a cylindrical glass blank. The glass blank is heated, clear glass mass is captured on the blank and blown out to the desired basic shape. Using metal tools, the object is then formed. The motifs consist of flora and fauna, as well as famous people. The lithographic technique is a similar technique where the decals are exchanged for black and white models from comic books, often of a sexual nature. Sometimes Sundberg makes the glass surface opaque and grinds windows into the subject. In connection with a change of ownership in the glass group Orrefors Kosta Boda in 2005, Sundberg left Orrefors and was employed as a professor at the Department of Design, Crafts and Art at Konstfack.
Important in Sundberg's artistic process is to use materials that others have left: clays, glazes, decals and figurines. These then form the palette of his creation. Sundberg is constantly looking for new expressions and testing the limits of the materials. In the studio, he has developed new ceramic materials, including clays and glazes from the old factory. Sundberg puts together figurines, found at flea markets, with self-made foundations. Several firings with different glazes follow. The glazes thus become part of the sculptural expression. The sculptures can also have a function, for example as a lamp, radio, candlestick or the like. Sundberg's objects often have a back - a side where the figurines do not act.
1988 Gallery De 20, Växjö
1991 Gallery Doctor Glass, Stockholm
1996 Orrefors Museum
1997 Olle Olsson House, Hagalund, Solna 1997 Form Design Center, Malmö 1998 ”STARS” Gallery Inger Molin, Stockholm 2000 Gallery Kamras, Borgholm
2000 Stockholm New, New York
2003 Gallery Orrefors Kosta Boda, Stockholm
Selected exhibitions
2004 “Beauty and the Beast”, Craft Council, London
2004 VIDA Art Gallery, Öland
2004 The Glass Dialogue, Småland Museum - Swedish Glass Museum, Växjö 2004 "Greatest Hits 1983-2004", Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg
2005 "Concept design", National Museum, Stockholm
2006-2011 Voices, Swedish Institute traveling exhibition, Germany, France, Belgium and the USA
2009 Hands on, Dunkers kulturhus, Helsingborg
2009 The state of affairs, Kulturhuset, Stockholm
2011 Per B. Sundberg, Gustavsberg Art Gallery, Gustavsberg
2012 Per B. Sundberg, Bomuldsfabriken kunsthall, Arendal, Norway
2012 The gallery NeC nilsson et chiglien, Paris, France
2003 Neon chandeliers, Family homes, Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm
2005 Altarpiece and chandeliers, Ljusets kyrka, Hallunda, Stockholm
2006 "Something that did not happen but someone moved in", BUP Södersjukhuset, Stockholm. Collaboration with the artist Cecilia Elde (b. 1964)
2006 Execution of a new national coat of arms for the Swedish Parliament, Plenary Hall, Stockholm. Collaboration with Ingegerd Råman (b. 1943).
2006 Light installation Akershus University Hospital, Lilleström, Norway.
2009 "Painting and ceramic sculpture in communication", Tussmötegården, Stureby, Stockholm. Collaboration with the artist Cecilia Elde
2010 "Crystal tree", Elinebo, Helsingborg
Represented at: Nationalmuseum, Röhsska museet, Magasin 3, Smålands museum, Musée des Art Décoratifs de Montréal, Canada, Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Kunst-industrimuseet i Köpenhamn, Danmark