Opening: Life and people. Döderhultarn

Inauguration ceremony at 2 PM in the Munch Room, on the third floor.

Welcome: Åsa Cavalli-Björkman 
Curators Sophie Allgårdh & Samuel Smith gives an introduction to the exhibition Life and People. Döderhultarn

Guest artists
Serietecknaren Martin "Rocky" Kellerman
Saxofonisten Erik Häusler

The Artist Axel Petersson (1868–1925), best known as Döderhultarn, was a pioneer in Swedish sculpture. He was born in the parish of Döderhult in Småland, and it was from this place that he took his name. He lived and worked his entire adult life in Oskarshamn.

Döderhultarn drew his models and motifs from his immediate surroundings. With a carving knife and mostly alder wood, he cut through all the layers of humanity, and in his roughly carved sculptures, he created a sense of drama and emotion that was hard to resist. Thematically, he returned time and again to the pivotal events in life, such as christenings, military conscriptions, weddings, and funerals. The number of figures in these sculptural groups could vary, as could their clothing and facial features.

Paris, Copenhagen, Brighton, Rome, New York

At the time of his breakthrough in 1909, Döderhultarn was already in his forties, and now critics also surrendered to his simultaneously melancholic and bold figures. Commissions began pouring in. His innovative works were purchased by private individuals, art collectors, and museums, and he participated in many exhibitions, both in Sweden and abroad, including in Paris, Copenhagen, Brighton, Rome, and New York.

Albert Engström and Eugène Jansson were among his strongest supporters. Ernest Thiel was also fascinated by the self-taught artist’s originality and, early on, acquired the sculpture group Funeral. The Thiel Gallery’s collection has since been expanded through donations with two more of the artist’s works.

The Vulnerability of the Little Person

The Thiel Gallery's centenary coincides with the commemorative year of Döderhultarn’s death. In 2025, it will be 100 years since the artist passed away, which we are commemorating with a small scale exhibition of Döderhultarn’s sculptures in the Munch Room. The exhibition is titled Life and People and centers on the vulnerability of the little person, alone or together with others. It features both sculptures from the gallery’s own collection and borrowed works.

The artist’s life and work are also being thoroughly highlighted this memorial year at the Döderhultarn Museum in Oskarshamn.