With his special and subtly humourous art, Thomas Olsson holds a special place within the Swedish art world. In his previous work Olsson has shown a predilection for working with simple, everyday objects. Already as a student at the Academy he selected to some extent the ingredients for his future art. One finds humour, balance and reflection.

Thomas Olsson’s sculptures develop slowly from an idea or a feeling. Details are then added and removed during the creative process. The finished works are often environments that are placed in a box or presented as coherent sculptural installations.

In his most recent works Olsson has departed from his earlier mechanic and kinetic works and moved towards more tranquil and static pieces. And it is here in the immobile and stationary that the viewer is invited to a life-giving meeting. The small plastic animals, with their multitidinous associations - a veritable menagerie including crocodiles, flies, swans and grasshoppers - and all the other ready-mades that constitute the work, demand the imagination and participation of the viewer to supply the objects with meaning.


EDUCATION

1981-86
The Royal University College of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2004
Galleri Lars Bohman, Stockholm, Sweden
Arnstedt & Kullgren, Östra Karup, Sweden

2003
Galleri Lars Bohman, project room, Stockholm, Sweden

1999
Arnstedt & Kullgren, Östra Karup, Sweden
Galleri Lars Bohman, Stockholm, Sweden

1994
Galleri Krister Fahl, Stockholm, Sweden
Ahlbergshallen, Östersund, Sweden

1993
Gävle Länsmuseum, Gävle, Sweden

1992
Galleri 54, Gothenburg, Sweden
Galleri Krüll, Stockholm, Sweden

1990
Borås konstmuseum, Borås, Sweden

1988
Galleri Sten Eriksson, Stockholm, Sweden


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2006
20 år! Stipendiater Maria Bonnier Dahlins Stiftelse 1985-2005, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden

2004
Arnstedt & Kullgren, Östra Karup, Sweden

2000
Till Tomas: 65 svenska konstnärers tack till museimannen Tomas Lindh
Arnstedt & Kullgren, Östra Karup, Sweden

1996
Alone Together, Liljevalchs konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden
Till filmen, Göteborgs konstmusuem, Gothenburg, Sweden

1995
Strange Phenomena, Helsinki, Finland

1994
Kärleken och döden, Göteboprgs konstmuseum, Gothenburg, Sweden
Brytpunkter, Jönköpings Länsmuseum, Jönköping, Sweden

1993
Art suedois contemporain, Musee Rath, Geneva, Switzerland
Zeitgenössiche Kunst aus Schweden Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau

1992
Time Reveals Truth, Expo 92, Seville, Spain
Telefonkatalog och Konst, Stockholm, Sweden
Det lilla formatet - en mikroutställning, Galleri Ahnlund, Umeå, Sweden
Kommunkonst, Botkytka, Sweden

1989
Konstant 90, St. Petersburg university, St. Petersburg, Russia
Himla skönt, Riksutställningar, Sweden

1988
Konst på väg, Riksutställningar, Norway
Konstant 90 Stockholm university, Stockholm, Sweden

AWARDS / GRANTS

1990
The Maria Bonnier-Dahlin Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden


COLLECTIONS

Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
Borås Konstmuseum, Borås, Sweden
Bohusläns Landsting, Sweden
Gävle Länsmuseum, Gävle, Sweden
Östersunds Kommun, Sweden
Sveriges Radio, Sweden
Norrköpings Kommun, Sweden
Bildmuseet, Umeå, Sweden
Stockholms läns landsting, Sweden
The National Public Art Council of Sweden
Stockholms stad, Sweden
Haninge kommun, Sweden

PUBLIC COMMISSIONS

Astrid Lindgrens Barnsjukhus, Stockholm
Torildplans Gymnasium, Stockholm
Brandbergsskolan, Haninge
Aranäsgymnasiet, Kungsbacka