Ellen Ehk b. 1976

Ellen Ehk’s artistic practice is characterized by an interplay between various different materials, textures, and forms. It features a contrast between shiny, smooth surfaces and matte, rough textures, as well as heavy, solid shapes and fragile, shell-like ones. Ehk’s distinct, organic expression is partly related to her personal background, while indicating a deeper understanding of nature as a reflection of our human reality. In this sense, her art is a testimony to the notion of nature as a boundless source of inspiration and knowledge.

Her works include mushrooms, mosses, and trees – forms that have appeared in Ehk’s art for many years. These are accompanied by moss-covered stones, lumps of soil, and rock formations, collectively constituting a poetic and playfully deconstructed nature. Ehk moves seamlessly between different materials, skillfully utilizing the distinct qualities of clay, bronze, glass, wood, and stone. The latest works have emerged through improvisation and Ehk’s tireless desire to renew her expression and explore new methods. Leftover material from previous casting processes can give rise to new ideas, and existing sculptures occasionally provide a basis for new, remodeled pieces.

Ellen Ehk (b. 1976) lives and works outside of Nybro, Sweden. She holds an MA in Ceramic Art from HDK University of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg. Previous solo and duo exhibitions include Kalmar Konstmuseum, Kalmar (2024), Eskilstuna Konstmuseum, Eskilstuna (2023), and Berg Gallery, Stockholm (2024, 2020, 2017, 2016). Recent group exhibition venues include Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (2024), Fondation Villa Datris, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France (2022), Institut Suédois, Paris (2021), and Röhsska Museet, Gothenburg (2019). Additionally, her work has been presented at international art fairs such as CHART, Copenhagen, Market Art Fair, Stockholm, and Art Brussels.

Ehk is represented in several public collections, including Nationalmuseum (Stockholm), Röhsska Museum (Gothenburg), Shanghai Museum of Arts and Craft, and the Public Art Agency of Sweden. In 2019, she was the first artist to receive the Ulrica Hydman Vallien Memorial Grant.