Mårten Medbo b. 1964

Mårten Medbo is one of Sweden's foremost ceramic sculptors and the first Swede to earn a doctoral degree in applied art. His sculptures can be both strange and unsettling, yet playful and humorous. They effortlessly navigate the space between abstraction and figuration, form and function. Each sculpture consists of numerous wheel-thrown elements that, when assembled and manipulated by Medbo's hands, create surreal sculptural forms. Throughout his long career, Medbo has consistently challenged the boundaries of ceramics, establishing a distinctive practice that continues to inspire new generations of artists.

Mårten Medbo (b. 1964, Järfälla) lives and works in Katrineholm. He is educated at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, and at Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington. In 2016, he received a doctorate degree in applied art from HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg, becoming the very first Swede to earn the title. Previous solo exhibition venues include Galerie NeC, Paris (2022, 2018, 2011, 2009), Berg Gallery, Stockholm (2024, 2021), Ebelingmuseet, Eskilstuna (2019), Larsen Warner, Stockholm (2018, 2015), Katrineholms Konsthall (2017), and Institut Suédois, Paris (2013). In addition, his works have been included in numerous group exhibitions, including Sörmlands museum, Nyköping, Steneby Konsthall, Dals Långed, Vogooze Gallery, Seoul, Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Arendal, Venus over Manhattan, New York, Design Museum Gent, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Art Brussels and Crafts Council, London.

Medbo is represented in the collections of Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, Public Art Agency Sweden, Smålands Museum, Växjö, Eskilstuna Konstmuseum, John Michael Kohler Art Center (US), and the Icelandic Museum of Design and Applied Art, as well as in many private collections throughout Europe and North America.