Since the middle of the 20th century, Madeleine Pyk has shared her naive, colourful, and imaginative images of landscapes, animals, people, and cityscapes with us. To mark her 90th birthday, Bukowskis is hosting the exhibition Don't Forget to Remember, featuring over a hundred works by Pyk for the first time.
Madeleine Pyk was born on 24th February 1934 in Stockholm and was raised on Södermalm, with views overlooking Slussen. It was there that she would often sit and gaze out over the Katarina lift, observing the people and the water. During summers, her family would retreat to Värmdö outside Stockholm, where she was immersed in nature and surrounded by animals, influences that would later become significant in her art.
See also: 8 Artists Inspired by the South of the France
Travelling has also been a significant aspect of Madeleine Pyk's life. During her youth, she spent summers in Rome, and for 25 years, Nice became her and her life partner Kri Bohm's winter abode. France has been pivotal in Pyk's artistic journey, with evident French influences in her work. However, study trips to Brazil and various African countries have also fuelled the artist's imagery over the years.
Pyk made her debut in 1956 with an exhibition at Lilla Paviljongen in Stockholm, the same year she completed her studies at Konstfack School. She furthered her education with studies at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts from 1963 to 1967.
See also: Madeleine Pyk: A Boundless Imagination
In 1972 she was named 'Sweden's most diligent painter' by SvD's cultural director, Stig Johansson, and today she stands as one of Sweden's most beloved artists. Her pieces grace collections at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the Stockholm City Collection, Norrköping Museum, Västerås Museum, Västerås City Collection, Umeå Museum, and Östersund Museum. Additionally, she has showcased solo exhibitions internationally in Amsterdam, Botswana, Hamburg, Nice, Paris, and Rome.
To celebrate her 90th birthday, from 20 February to 6 March, Bukowskis is hosting the exhibition Don't Forget to Remember. A grand total of 117 never-before-seen works are on display, with many painted as recently as 2023. All paintings are available for purchase on-site.
"Few artists are as beloved as Madeleine Pyk and there is still such an impressive vitality in her work. When visiting the homes of collectors, there is almost always a painting by Madeleine Pyk, no matter what the collection looks like", says Lena Rydén, Head of Art and specialist in Modern and Classical Art at Bukowskis.
On the vibrant canvases, familiar motifs like felines and elongated humans are depicted, alongside new ones such as a robot visiting Vincent van Gogh's studio through AI.
'The idea of the exhibition is to make us stop and remind ourselves of what is important. For us. Everything goes so fast now. Too fast. The animals. Nobody seems to think about them. Everything that is disappearing. The butterflies. You see how the animals stand in a row in my paintings and sort of ask what we are doing. All my paintings are questions", says Madeleine Pyk to Bukowskis.
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With humour and playfulness, Madeleine Pyk continues to bring her colourful fantasies to life. Green Tiger, Place des Vosges, Gondola, Uncle Sven's Car, and From my Window I Don't See the Stars are among the works showcased at Bukowski's location at Berzelii Park 1 in Stockholm until 6 March.
