Konstfack Recent Graduates

Featured image: William Reed – Runnin’ from Home with The Devil

The Recent Graduates Exhibition is a space where young standout artists can showcase their art to our thousands of art-loving fair visitors. It is a privilege to support young artists at the beginning of their careers, and we are super excited to see all of their works in person.

This year’s curated exhibition will focus on new talents from Konstfack, the prestigious Stockholm University of Arts, Crafts and Design. Our curators Lauren and Jeanette have carefully selected an array of emerging artists brimming with talent and potential. Read on for their take on what to expect this year, and how they curate an exhibition.

MEET OUR CURATORS

Jeanette Gunnarsson is a freelance curator who currently lives and works between Stockholm, Sweden, and London, UK. She completed her BA at City and Guilds of London Art School and is currently completing her MA in Curation, Art Management, and Law at Stockholm University.

Lauren Johnson is an independent curator and manager of Elk Glade Ranch in the Rocky Mountains. Lauren approaches curating and ranching as a way to practice cross-cultural understanding while living in harmony with nature. She received her Bachelor’s in Art History at UC Berkeley and attended the Master’s Program in Curating at Stockholm University. Lauren splits her time between Stockholm and Elk Glade in order to further her passions for curating and ranching.

What can we expect at this year’s fair, and what were you looking for when selecting the artworks?

For this year, we have been working closely with artists from Konstfack in Stockholm, both current and graduated students, among others. In past years we have worked with artists graduating from different art schools across Sweden, but with the art fair dates shifting and taking place before graduation, we have taken this opportunity to focus more closely on one particular University. We were particularly interested in artists engaging in different material practices, so we have taken a deep dive into the different departments at Konstfack to select some of the artists we think are most exciting and promising. 

 
What’s your favourite part about discovering new talents?

Finding and nurturing new talents is always a rewarding experience, as you get to be part of an artist’s journey as they come out of art school and venture out. We think this is true for us as curators but also for those buying artwork and supporting new talents. It’s been fascinating and rewarding to work with the artists this year as they develop the works that will be exhibited at the Affordable Art Fair. 

What advice would you give to people starting a collection and looking for up-and-coming artists? 

Keeping an open mind and going into it with intuition. If something feels compelling or piques your interest, feel free to speak with us or the artists. It’s always great to have an engaging conversation about the work and helps to build a personal relationship with the artwork that you might take home.  

Which medium has become more prevalent over the past few years and what are your thoughts about digital art?

There has been a real trend in textile-based art, which is great to see. Linette Tran is an example of an artist working with patchwork, screenprinting, weaving and embroidery.

Another one of our artists this year is William Reed, who is exhibiting some digital prints – an exciting development that I think we will see more of in the coming years. 

Join us on 20 – 24 April at Nacka Strandsmässan for Affordable Art Fair Stockholm, and see these and 1000s more fantastic works all under one roof.

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