A Portrait by (and of) Fredrik Söderberg.
Our very close friend, Swedish painter Fredrik Söderberg has created an imaginative world in which he explores the sublime. In his work, beauty holds a special place as a form of leitmotiv, yet beauty is never uncomplicated and can often be disturbing or even violent. History, philosophy and spirituality have always been his close companions in this process and his work constantly references people and events of times past.
Söderbergs paintings are the result of immense dedication. From the sourcing of the most obscure pigment and mixing of colors to the great display in concentration and asceticism during the act of working on a painting. The actual craft throughout the process of creating an artwork is central in understanding his body of work and his concept of beauty. The act of working on a painting resembles a ritual. Creating something with your hands can be very spiritual or even transcendental.
On a very personal level, Fredrik Söderberg together with his wife Christine Ödlund acts as testament to the way art enriches your life. Art permeates every aspect of their lives – from the most banal things like cooking a Tuesday dinner or writing a letter to the most grand like creating a book or an exhibition. Being involved in their work and in their lives is, to us, the purest form of inspiration.
