Interview with Ingemar Härdelin
Can you tell us a little about your background and what originally inspired you to pursue a career in the arts?
I grew up in a family where art and culture had a high status. My four siblings and I were encouraged early on to develop our respective talents. In my case, it was primarily the love of music that made me choose the cello as a life partner. I have played it throughout my life in many different contexts, orchestra, chamber music, solo and not least during some happy years in my family quintet. Likewise, early on I focused my interest in painting and drawing in drawings and paintings with chalk and watercolors. Throughout my school years, music and visual arts were my best subjects.
Can you describe your creative process? How do you usually go from an idea to a finished work?
Nowadays, my painting has developed into pure abstract expressionism. My paintings are created in a spontaneous process initiated by an inner vision. During the process, some roads are opened and others are closed. Painting then becomes like a journey of discovery in an unknown country. I sometimes experience the finished result as a surprise. Did I paint this?
Who are some artists, past or present, who have influenced your work and why?
I have no particular role models, but I am attracted to paintings where the colors are allowed to work together and play in harmony and expression. Color choice and the ability to distribute the colors in a harmonious way and create balance are important. Attracted of course by many of the great painters, for example, Van Gogh and Picasso.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your artistic career and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge has been to dare to follow one's intentions to the end during the painting process. Instead of settling for a half-decent result, one can perhaps develop the painting if one dares to go further, with the risk of destroying the painting. It requires courage and faith in one's ability, something I have learned to handle over the years.
How would you describe your signature style and how has it evolved over time?
I started like many others by painting, first other people's pictures, later landscapes and environments. But pretty soon I experienced a lack of freedom in painting and began to tighten the motifs to pure abstraction, a concept I now apply.
What role do you think art plays in society, and how do you see your work contributing to it?
A society without art is a dead society. Art brings life, new thinking, and experiences, necessary as part of people's mental and aesthetic development.
It is my hope that my efforts can be a contribution to this development.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists just starting out?
I would encourage and urge you to constantly try again. It is through mistakes that you learn the most. Believe in your ability and never give up. Be open to new solutions and methods. Be curious and try your hand at it.
Are there any upcoming projects or exhibitions that you are particularly excited about?
Have a new exhibition in the spring of 2024. Every exhibition, big or small, is a challenge and equally important.
Looking back on your artistic journey so far, what would you say has been your biggest learning or insight?
Being one hundred percent yourself in your art is fundamental. We must develop our uniqueness in creation and avoid imitating others. Our art, like ourselves, must be unique and come entirely from within the unique creation that we are.
