A living process... Årjäng is the place that Swedish artist Lena Hautoniemi calls home. She was born (1964) and raised in this small town in western Sweden, close to the Norwegian border, and returned to settle as an adult after many years spent working in different parts of the world. Colour and form have been Lena’s means of expression since early in her career. After studying fine arts at Kyrkerud Folk High School, she progressed to the College of Design and Applied Arts (HDK) in Göteborg, from which she graduated in 1988 with a degree in industrial design (specializing in glass and china). After working for some years in a variety of countries, including Australia, Britain and Sweden, Lena is now back in Årjäng. Her studio is on the upper floor of an old wooden house in the town centre. “Painting is a living process, and over the years I have found myself giving increasingly powerful expression to my personal sense of form." Laguna is Lena’s debut series of painted glass. It features clear colours and broad brush strokes in black, white and turquoise, interspersed with decoration in gold. The series has a contemporary feel, and the idiom is entirely Lena’s own. Laguna has attracted attention at a number of exhibitions, including the Formex show in Stockholm and Galleri trallala in Bergen. |
