Ellen Ehk and Markus Åkesson

Ellen Ehk's artistic practice is characterized by sculptural works and an interplay between various materials and textures such as ceramics, glass, and bronze. Her organic expression, drawn from nature, is partly related to her personal background, while also indicating a deeper understanding of nature as a reflection of our human reality.

Markus Åkesson is well-known for his neo-figurative and detailed paintings that combine craftsmanship with surreal and nature-inspired motifs. The paintings explore the worlds of beauty and decay and emerge through a process of translations between various materials, from intricate patterns to textiles and costumes that form the basis for the final work.

The exhibition features several newly produced works where the artists have expanded their practices and also created works together.

Ellen Ehk Åkesson (born 1976) lives and works outside Nybro, Småland. She holds a Master's degree in ceramics from HDK – Academy of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg. Her work has previously been exhibited at Vida Art, Kalmar Art Museum, Eskilstuna Art Museum, and Berg Gallery. Ehk's work is represented in several public collections such as the National Museum, the Röhsska Museum, the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Craft, and the Public Art Agency Sweden. In 2019, she was the first artist to receive the Ulrica Hydman Vallien Scholarship.

Markus Åkesson (born 1975) lives and works outside Nybro, Småland. Previous solo exhibitions include Berg Gallery, Vida Art, and Kalmar Art Museum. Additionally, his work has been exhibited at institutions such as Lentos Art Museum, Linz, Austria, Fondation Francès, Clichy/Senlis, France, La Manufacture – Museum of Textile Creation and History, Roubaix, France, Institut Suédois, Paris, France, and Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris, France. Åkesson's work is represented in the collections of Fondation Francès, the Public Art Agency Sweden, VIDA Museum, Château du Rivau, the Alice Walton Family Collection, and the Jacques-Antoine Granjon Collection, as well as in numerous public and private collections in Europe, Asia, and the USA.

Thanks to: Värnamo Municipality, Region Jönköping, and Region Kronoberg

^{Image: Ellen Ehk, Just after the rain, photo: Sanna Argus Tirén}