Old stories taking new forms
Old stories take new forms in the artworks by Swedish artist Anne Bjerger, who uses found images from books and magazines as her starting point. Anna Bjerger is not afraid to get immersed in the memories of strangers, opening up their narratives for new interpretations, as she brings them out of their original context and into her own artistic universe. Born out of the wish to make the past come alive in a new and unexpected way, Anna Bjerger presents a process of merging two artistic techniques: photography and painting. This is the story of a visual storyteller who seeks the old stories in order to create new ones.
In her paintings, Anna Bjerger embraces mundane and trivial subjects which, when viewed in the context of memories, stand out as something melancholic and mysterious. The canvas literally becomes a frame for a story in movement – from the first pictorialization, captured by an anonymous photographer, to her artistic processing of it, and the interpretation by the viewer, each deeply influenced by his or her own personal story.
Quick strokes of paint bear witness of an intense artistic process based on intuition rather than a calculated strategy. People, once depicted by a camera, fill out a new space, carefully orchestrated by Anna Bjerger in a somewhat impressionistic language that catches the personal echoes of real images with real people with real stories.
CV
Anna Bjerger, born 1973 in Skallsjö, SE, lives and works in Älmhult, SE.
Education
Anna Bjerger received her BA in Fine Art from Central St. Martins School of Art and Design, London, UK in 1997 and her MA in painting from the Royal College of Art, London, UK in 2001.
Recent solo shows
Recent solo shows include shows at David Risley Gallery, Copenhagen, DK (2016); Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stokholm, SE (2015); Galleria Monica Gardenas, Milan, Italy (2014); Fullrsta Gård, Stockholm, Sweden (2013) and Paradise Row, London, UK (2013)
Selected group shows
Selected group exhibitions include shows at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, DK (2016); Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Hotel le Manoir, Banyuls sur Mer, FR (2015); Angell Gallery, Toronto, CA (2015); Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin, Ireland, (2012); Våxsjo Konsthall, Sweden, (2012); Dublin Contemporary, Dublin, Ireland (2011); Museo de la Ciudad de Querótaro, Mexico, (2011).
Public collections
Her works are in the collections of Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (DK), Moderna Museet (SE), Stedelijk Museum (NE), The AkzoNobel Art Foundation (NE), Collectie G+W Sittard (NE), Zabludowicz Collection (UK), Vinunic (SE), Sveriges Radio (SE), Gävle Kommun (SE), Växjo Kommun (SE)