Curatorial Statement
With a keen interest in visual expression, Gustav Hjelmgren found inspiration in the works of early abstract expressionists. Working primarily with a squeegee, he manipulated the newly applied paint, building up layer upon layer — sometimes working while the paint was still wet, sometimes pausing to let a particular layer dry before going on.
These many layers symbolised for him not only the multiple layers of a lifetime but also a kind of diversity: various layers of paint and strokes of colour finding harmony on the canvas in unexpected combinations.
Inspiration came too from a deep and immediate connection with nature — a walk in the woods, the power of the open sea. Everything is connected, and it is these connections that find their way onto the canvas.