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Painting by Rune Hagberg
Sweden, 1980s
Ink on paper.Signed.
Rune Hagberg (1924 - 2015) was a self-taught pupil of Zen Buddhism who explored silence and introspection within his work.
Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Hagberg became heavily influenced by Eastern calligraphy throughout his life – and developed a spontaneous sign painting style with a strong concentration on a select amount of characters rooted in Zen Buddhism. His informal meditative practice found its place between concretism and expressionism which was widespread in the 1950s. Later in his life, these symbols would be bound into reels and tied together with string - white, ascetic, and secretive within their frames.
Eventually, Hagberg's practice came to focus on a gradual loosening of the picture surface, a kind of elimination of the sheet of paper, as if to approach the idea of nothingness. This exploration later found expression in sculptural objects.
His oeuvre of ink painting turned him into a public figure in Sweden – hosting a long series of exhibitions, most notably at Moderna Museet in Malmö and Norrköping Art Museum. He also exhibited abroad in Japan in 1955 alongside a group of Eastern painters and calligraphers.
L: 97 cm / 3' 2 1/4"
W: 63 cm / 2' 3/4"
D: 5.5 cm / 2 1/4"
Price: on application
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