Stockholm 2024: Rising Star Julius Nordvinter

Founded in Gothenburg with the main gallery space in the city centre, Mankovsky Gallery has been focusing on supporting the next generation of artists. At last year’s fair, they saw great success with emerging artist Julius Nordvinter, whose work sparked a whirlwind of interest with collectors.

Following this success, we invited owner of Makovsky Gallery, Jonatan Erlandsson, to speak with us about what you can most look forward to at the upcoming edition of Affordable Art Fair Stockholm 2024.

FROM A GALLERIST/CURATOR’S POINT OF VIEW, WHY HAS JULIUS BECOME SO POPULAR?

His unique personal story of using art as a therapeutic outlet for his OCD adds a profound layer of authenticity and emotional depth to his work, making it resonate deeply with viewers and collectors. This narrative enhances the intrinsic value of his art, creating a strong emotional connection with the audience.

We got feedback that the works were perceived as chaotic, raw, and emotional. It was evident that Julius didn’t hold anything back when painting. It soon became clear that no one leaves untouched when viewing his works.

DO YOU STILL REMEMBER HOW JULIUS’ WORKS WERE PERCEIVED LAST YEAR?

The emotional response differed widely between fair visitors. Some felt unease, some felt invigorated and some became desperate, purchasing multiple pieces immediately. We even had works that more than one visitor wanted to purchase, which started spontaneous auctions between fair visitors and prices went up 30-40% in real-time.

IS THERE ANY FEEDBACK OR COMMENTS YOU’VE RECEIVED FROM COLLECTORS ON JULIUS’ WORKS?

Of course! One of the Stockholm-based collectors who owns multiple works of Julius said:

“We were instantly captivated by his unique style, which is exuberant and strong, with handcrafted ‘figures’ in the form of men, women, dogs, and monsters, and incredible depth in faces and facial expressions! All these faces and creations have stories that Julius himself has a history with, making it extra exciting for us to ponder how he thought and what he experienced. The only limit is our imagination, leaving plenty of room for personal interpretation. We love it!”

Another collector, the Sandberg family, who started their art collection with Julius’ work said:

“His colours, subjects, and the feeling conveyed through both his brushstrokes and his wonderful personality already stood out during our visit to Affordable Art Fair Stockholm 2023. Our love for Julius’ work led us to invest in another piece and we are happy we acted fast since today the waiting time is long. We are convinced that Julius will go very far.”

WHAT SHOULD A COLLECTOR KNOW IF HE/SHE WANTS TO COLLECT A PIECE OF JULIUS’ WORK?

The rarity and exclusivity of Julius’ work has further amplified demand. Since Julius needs time to recuperate and focus on exhibitions instead of individual commissions, it creates further heightened interest among collectors. 

Currently, there is a waiting period of up to two years to receive a commissioned work by Julius. Unless one purchases during one of his exhibitions, like at the Affordable Art Fair Stockholm in October, otherwise the wait could be long!

WHERE WILL WE BE SEEING JULIUS’ WORKS NEXT?

On top of Affordable Art Fair Stockholm in October 2024, which will be the last time his works will be exhibited at the fair, he has a solo exhibition at Galleri Fineart in Oslo, one of the largest galleries in Scandinavia. Then later in 2025, he will be exhibiting with a non-disclosed international gallery in London.

We are so happy to hear Julius has been doing so well. Also, a big thank you to Jonatan for sharing his insights!

We are very much looking forward to seeing Julius’ work at the fair from 2 – 6 October. If you haven’t done so yet, grab your tickets now to beat the queue, and don’t forget to visit Mankovsky Gallery at Stand H2.