MARTIN SOLYMAR

“What would a runestone look like in a tropical context? What would have happened if the Vikings had reached the Amazon?”

Martin Solymar is based in Gothenburg and attended Valand’s Art Academy 2007 – 2012. In his art, his interest in Nordic mythology meets the experiences of Caribbean imaginary worlds, music culture and religious practices. His numerous journeys to Latin America and the strong impressions of the local music styles are embodied in a narrative painting in which eternal human questions are reflected in the specific conditions of the different places, in the landscapes and nature.

Motivation:

With delicate nuances and transparent layers, Martin Solymar portrays a state of mind that seems to be dissolved, hallucinatory and ambiguous. Ritual objects and mythical figures become bearing elements in a poetic world of images that cannot be attributed to a specific geographical place or age. On closer inspection, the paintings, which at first glance may seem abstract, grow in fragments that form multi-layered stories to create new spaces and landscapes.

For a vibrant and narrative painting, where technique, form and content are constantly driven forward, Martin Solymar is awarded a scholarship for 2020 from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.