Helsingborgs Dagblad

Eight artists show their work Today Saturday is the opening at Galleri Ekbacken in Bonarp outside Klippan. It is Gunnel Säflund Almered who has organized this exhibition that has the word friendship as a sign. – After 18 years and many watercolor courses in the stable here in Bonarp, I have decided to exhibit some of my own watercolors. I do this together with my colleague Susanne Jardeback-Olesen and her painting acquaintances, says Gunnel Säflund Almered.

In addition to the duo, another sextet consisting of Kerstin Olsson, Helen Stigson, Jonas Dahlqvist, Jörgen Palm, Siv Arvelid and Sarimaria Yrjänä will show their work.

The exhibition takes place 3-4 and 10-11 October at 12-17.

BMZ Regional online magazine

Energy bomb at Galleri Ekbacken in Bonnarp

A real energy bomb in color and form, filled with desire, play and artistic challenges… The group exhibition “Art (igt) in Color and form” presented at Galleri Ekbacken in Bonnarp by the Nobel artist, course leader and friend Susanne Jardeback-Olesen offered an artistic holistic experience of an unexpected kind.

Collective exhibitions are too seldom homogeneous, even if it is merited practitioners who are on the move.

In this exhibition, none of the participants fall out of the box. It shines with well-composed, well-thought-out and colorful works in acrylic, oil and ceramics with personal prints and good craftsmanship. Nevertheless, none of the eight exhibitors, apart from Susanne herself and Gunnel Säflund-Almered, are professionals, although some have persistently trampled on the artistic path for many years.

The artist’s souls are replenished in group dynamics and pedagogical exercises. A task can e.g. be to pick up stuff from an old Ica bag to catch on the canvas. One of the artists who worked in the Cubist became so inspired that he dared to take the step of adding realistic objects to the Cubist environment. Another came loose when he had to go loose and test wet in wet.

To dare, to loosen…

– Together we give birth to energy. New perspectives, often redemptive, arise when we work intensively. A common goal with constantly new challenges, play and hard work… I want to make them grow, see how they land. It is true happiness, says Susanne Jardeback-Olesen.

Susanne herself is working on a prominent honorary assignment right now. Namely, like the old masters, she has had the honor of painting an oil portrait of a prominent person – in this case the Royal Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Staffan Normark. She thus seems to go from clarity to clarity on her own after her previous assignments of performing unique Nobel diplomas. Lectures and exhibitions take turns. But Susanne knows what good educators, friendship and community mean for the future development as an artist. Georg Suttner at Gerlesborgsskolan is one of the artists who made her develop and who she sees as a pedagogical role model.

– We have a fantastic community in the group. Even though we are mostly in my studio and garden, we often gather at Gunnel and Lennart Säflund here in Bonnarp – in the studio, the gallery or in the frame workshop.

– Or on the f.d. the manure pile, Gunnel happily interjects. Gunnel is a watercolor painter and holds courses on the subject in the yard while her husband does framing in the frame workshop. In other words, Ekbacken with adjoining courtyards is a fully-fledged creative environment for artist souls – a natural meeting place to exchange experiences in and not least new soulmates in.

And of course there is Galleriet Ekbacken which is a great asset when the group wants to take a holistic approach and show what results they have achieved. The gallery’s tranquil rural appearance and rich light inlet elevate and strengthen both the sublime and explosive, colorful expression.

This exhibition is a small nibbling good explosion of color, where everyone’s personal expression comes into its own. Among the works, a star shines a little brighter, more determined and intense than the other paintings. It is Sarimaria Yrjänä who with her light treatment created shimmering beautiful, atmospheric paintings with an almost magical power effect.

Exhibitors are Susanne Jardback-Olesen, Kerstin Olsson, Helén Stigson, Jonas Ahlqvist, Jörgen Palm, Gunnel Säflund-Almered, Siv Arveled and Sarimaria Yrjänä.

Art (igt) in color and form has a vernissage on Saturday 3 October at Galleri Ekbacken 12 – 17. The same times apply to other opening days: October 4, October 10-11.