ArtistSwedish
Martin Möldener
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Martin Möldener is a Linköping-based artist and writer whose work moves freely between drawing, painting, and poetry. He is best known for his ink drawings on passepartout board, a format he has made distinctly his own through hundreds of works that turn Swedish idiomatic expressions into literal visual scenes.
That project, called "Bokstavligt" ("Literally"), is the backbone of his output. The concept is straightforward: take a Swedish saying and draw exactly what the words describe if read at face value. Around 500 original drawings have come out of the project, collected in two books. From these, Möldener also produces larger-format originals for exhibition and sale.
His paintings operate differently. Möldener describes his approach as "ryggmärgsmåleri", spinal cord painting, where instinct takes over. The results draw on van Gogh, Matisse, and Sven X:et Erixson, particularly in cityscapes.
Writing runs parallel to the visual work. He has published six collections of poetry. His street art project, placing drawings around Linköping for passersby to take home, has been covered by Corren and Sveriges Radio.
At auction, his work appears almost exclusively through Gomér & Andersson in Linköping (103 of 107 lots). Drawings dominate (90 lots), with paintings accounting for 17. Prices reflect an accessible market: "Påtår" reached 2,342 SEK; "Horhus" sold for 2,000 SEK.