“Many artists have an enviable talent for expressing and explaining their art in words. Now when I am asked to clarify my relationship to my own work, my painting, I feel it is an obvious paradox – because painting is an alternative way of conveying a message to someone else – a wordless expression, but with the same demands that you have on the written or spoken word: syntax, articulation, precision or clearness, accent, musicality etc. Colours and shades can for example be synonymous to accentuation and modulation in the spoken language. When you start talking about the reason or the underlying motive for a painting, I often find this difficult: I rarely find a specific reason why this particular painting became the painting you see before you with its own unique expression and appearance. Perhaps it depends on my need to surprise myself. Repetition or habit creates the virtuoso, but boredom might linger inside.
Anyway, important digressions or more or less useless talk do exist on canvasses – probably also on mine.
I try to paint at the best of my ability, under existing circumstances, the architecture of the studio, the light, the present life situation and the experience and knowledge I have acquired so far.
That is the explanation why my paintings look the way they do.”
Olle Kåks
Biography
Born in Hedemora Sweden 1941.
Lived and worked in Stockholm.
Received the Prince Eugen Medal from the King of Sweden in 2002.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2011
Hedemora Art Hall, Sweden
2010
Länsmuseet, Halmstad, Sweden
Galleri Birgersson, Halmstad, Sweden
Hishult Art Hall, Sweden
2009
Leksand´s Museum of Art
2008
Ebelingmuseet, Torshälla, Sweden
2007
Galleri Astley, Sweden
2006
Olle Nyman´s studio, Saltsjö Duvnäs, Nacka, Sweden
2003
Simrishamn Gösta Werner museet, Sweden
2002
Konstakademien – The Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden
Galerie Aronowitsch, Stockholm, Sweden
Olle Kåks´ Paintings 1970-2002, Malmö Konsthall, Sweden
1997
Galerie Aronowitsch, Stockholm, Sweden
1994
Galerie Aronowitsch, Stockholm, Sweden
1993
Galerie Aronowitsch, Stockholm, Sweden
1989
Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm, Sweden
1985
Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
1982
Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Danmark
1978
Konsthalle, Basel, Sweden
1977
Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
1976
Galerie Burén, Sweden
1975
Galerie Aronowitsch, Stockholm, Sweden
1974
Norrköpings Konstmuseum, Norrköping, Sweden
Göteborgs Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden
1972
Galerie Burén, Stockholm, Sweden
1969
Galerie Burén, Stockholm, Sweden
1966
Galerie Aronowitsch, Stockholm, Galerie Burén
Selected Group Exhibitions
1992
“The Contemporary Art in Sweden”, “Il paesaggio Culturale” Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Roma, Italy
1991-1992
8 Contemporary Art museums, Japan
1988
“Bilder für der Himmel”, Osaka, Japan
World tour ROSC 1988, Dublin, Ireland
1987
SEIBU Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1986
NORDANAD, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
Malmö Konsthall, Sweden
Galleri F15, Moss, Norway
1985
“Exhibition-Dialogue-on Contemporary Art in Europé”, Fundacão Calouste Gulbenkian, Centro de Arte Moderna, Lisabonne, Portugal
1984
“Buscando el Norte”, Museo Español de Arte Contemporaneo, Madrid, Spain
1983
ARS 83, Ateneum, Helsinki, Finland
“Art contre Apartheid” Fondation Nationale des Arts Graphiques et Plastiques, Paris, France
1982
“Sleeping Beauty-Art Now”, Scandinavia Today, Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA
1976
“International Events 72-76´”, Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy
1973
“New Swedish Images”, Amos Andersonin Taidemuseo, Helsinki, Finland
“Images du Nord”, Dakar, Senegal
1971
“Alternative Suédois”, Musée d´Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark
Galleri F15, Moss, Norway
Bergen Billedgalleri, Bergen, Norway
1970
“Swedish alternatives”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
1969
“Op losseschroeven” (Situaties en cryptostructuren), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
“Six Swedish Artists”, Camden Art Centre, London, UK
1967
“Biennale”, Paris, France
“17 Young”, Konstakademien – The Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden