Gunnel Wåhlstrand

Gunnel Wåhlstrand creates extraordinary large-scale ink wash paintings featuring monumental landscapes, compelling portraits and serene interiors with intriguing compositions. The point of departure for Wåhlstrand’s work was a box of family photographs – the only connection that she had to her father while growing up. To fill the silence surrounding his life and disappearance, she began to use these photographs, enlarging the image, examining every detail and using her imagination to complete any information that is lacking or obscured. The large scale gives both artist and viewer a heightened sense of presence, almost as if one could step into the image. Each work takes months to complete, as the ink washes are applied in successive layers, gradually filling the white paper through a process that the artist likens to a slowly developing photograph. With a great sense of suspense, Wåhlstrand’s work transcends time as ordinary family snapshots are transformed into something more universal. Including an essay by Lars Norén, one of Swedens most celebrated playwrights and authors. Published in collaboration with Magasin III, Stockholm, Sweden, on the occasion of the retrospective exhibition Gunnel Wåhlstrand in 2017.