In March 2017, visual artists were invited to apply for a residency scholarship at either the Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko, Poland (1-30 September) or in Kiruna (4-17 December). Based on the applications, the jury decided that the Polish grant would be awarded to Johan Ahlström and the Kiruna scholarship should go to Johanna Arvidsson.
Johan Ahlström was awarded the grant for ”his unconventional approach and experimental eagerness to try out different materials and techniques. With Johan Ahlström’s background in both arts and architecture, we believe that the residence programme in Poland will be benefitial and, once he is in situ, the opportunities to try out various techniques in Orońsko will both help and inspire his artistry“. Johan Ahlström was born in 1982, raised in Stockholm and is, since 2015, living in Halmstad. He has taken the architect programme at the Faculty of Engineering LTH and also studied at the Visual Arts Academy in Helsinki, to name but a couple. The last few years he has worked both with sculptures and paintings with different plastic materials, often with landscape motifs or objects referring to nature. In the early part of 2017, he participated at the annual spring exhibition managed and judged by Halland Artist Association and right now he is working as a project manager at Dramalogen in Halmstad, where he is responsible for the courses and programmes in architecture, arts and illustration. He has managed several different arts projects aimed at both schools and immigrants and asylum seekers. Find out more about
Johanna Arvidsson was awarded her grant for ”the obvious ambition and driving force in her artistry. Industrious honesty that wants to tell the onlooker something important about us humans. The explorative attitude of Johanna Arvidsson encourages curiosity and an inquisitive mind and we believe that the stay in Kiruna can provide valuable perspectives both for her current and future projects“. Johanna Arvidsson was born in 1983, raised in Hyltebruk and now professionally active and living in Gothenburg. She has taken Master in Free Arts at Valand Academy, Gothenburg and graduated 2015. She now works primarily with drawings and sketches.
The jury consisted of Emma Ströde, sculptor, artist and active board member at Galleri 54, Gothenburg as well as deputy on the board of KKV Gothenburg and representatives from Art in Halland. The final decisions on these residence grants were made by the host institutions.
