In Sjöstedt’s exhibition, Gentle Pressure, at Galleri Duerr, similar notions are present and take form as colorful sculptures that are eye candy at first glance, but a deeper criticality lies under their aesthetic surfaces.
From broccoli sculptures to plant pots that seemingly bulge with belly fat, the ceramicist Linn Sjöstedt merges conceptual sculptures and functional designs with critical commentary on daily life. In 2023, Sjöstedt was the recipient of a prestigious award during Stockholm Craft Week. The jury based their decision on how the artist includes humor and references to contemporary dilemmas in her works. In Sjöstedt’s exhibition, Gentle Pressure, at Galleri Duerr, similar notions are present and take form as colorful sculptures that are eye candy at first glance, but a deeper criticality lies under their aesthetic surfaces.
Utilizing social media’s influence on individuals to consume and use products is a narrative throughout Sjöstedt works. For Gentle Pressure, Sjöstedt presents a series of new sculptures that are inspired by beauty trends and anti-ageing face creams from which the marketing of these products has been both good and bad for society for several decades. One can think of how the promoted use of sunscreens has been valuable for health reasons, while currently, there is a lot of attention on how the skincare industry and SoMe platforms such as Tiktok are targeting young children to use skincare products, which without supervision, can be harmful.
Many questions arose in Sjöstedt’s mind when she was making the sculptures, such as what happens if one doesn’t use these miracle creams, as well as the profit companies make while simultaneously contributing to added pressure of aging in a society focused on youth and beauty. From these ideas, Sjöstedt has masterfully created works with recognizable connections to the fads associated with the beauty industry and these include ceramic sculptures in the form of makeup blenders and creamy lotions and she even playfully presents face masks made from silicone. The series of lotion sculptures appear as soft and luxurious as if they were real creams ready to be used. The artist describes these works as ‘dollops’ and the word immediately gives them an identity and activates their existence. Dollops of anything, whether food or lotion, is such a luxury notion and a reflection of a capitalist, contemporary world. Furthermore, Sjöstedt’s works point to how easily one can succumb to the marketing tactics that create the desire to want something that supposedly improves our daily life. In the work Häxring, there are squirted dollops arranged by the artist to form a fairy ring as a kind of metaphor emphasizing the idea of magical powers of face creams to make wrinkles disappear, while other sculptures such as Maximum Hydration and The Routine are comprised of several layers of dollops that ooze and overflow from the weight of overindulgence. When creating the works, Sjöstedt found inspiration in trying to replicate and translate the tactility of lotions with the tactile qualities of clay. In a similar manner, Sjöstedt also brilliantly replicates the light and spongy textures of makeup blenders upon the surface her ceramic forms.
The exhibition at Galleri Duerr is a continuation of Sjöstedt’s interest in how media influences perceptions of the body. For example, her series of works Superfood (2019) and Stay healthy y’all! (2018) include exaggerated sizes of asparagus, broccoli, slabs of butter and even potato chips. Sjöstedt plays with the absurdity of health crazes through objects we can relate to, and this is clearly demonstrated when Sjöstedt’s broccolis take center stage on decorative pedestals and successfully perform as recognizable symbols of health that we all need to eat a little bit more of. The artist’s oeuvre of objects in relation to body politics also include ceramic sculptures that are tightly wrapped with fabric bands. Sometimes they stand as conceptual works or they are created with a function, serving as stools for sitting on, or as potholders for plants. These objects, whether functional or conceptual, are imbued with a bodily presence, and their physicality emerges as the bands are too tight and the clay, despite its hardened exterior, bulges like flesh through the gaps between the wrapped binding.
Sjöstedt’s interest in the body and routines of daily life go hand in hand with her attraction to clay. When she began her practice over 10 years ago, Sjöstedt was primarily working with sculpture and painting, but when she took a ceramics course, she fell in love with the challenges and material characteristics of clay. Sjöstedt is attracted to its movement and malleability, and the constraints it has in relation to its softness and hardness after the material is fired.
Sjöstedt has created works with a conceptual twist and a playful approach, which encourages the possibility for another individual to be a part of a work’s narrative. The artist’s ability to mimic the luxurious colors and textures of real products fuels the temptation to touch the works, however despite this forbidden act in the space of the gallery, the works are relatable through their aesthetic appearance and association to the everyday; these are some of the reasons why Linn Sjöstedt’s ceramic sculptures are memorable and hard to resist.
– Text by Anne Klontz
