Tobbe Malm

Tobbe Malm is an artist born in Norberg, Sweden. Norberg is a small Swedish mining town, where the industry is thought to date from the 12th century. The very earth shook day and night from explosions in the mine tunnels far below the streets. The iron ore was boiled in a blast furnace, the smoke from the huge chimney licking the sky day and night. Malm cites this perpetual presence of heavy industry throughout his childhood as an influence on his work. The constancy of birth and rebirth of substance fascinated him. The towns blast furnace closed down in 1981. Now nature creeps over the crumbling buildings, regaining control over its domain. The inherent beauty in this destruction strikes Tobbe deeply. His work is characterised by explorations into this subject of returning and rebirth.

The Malm familyabout Tobbe Malm 1 held a space for creativity and Tobbe took inspiration from both his parents. His mother worked in healthcare and published several medical books throughout her career. His father worked in the towns heavy industry, while indulging a silversmith hobby in his spare time. Tobbe explored art and design, working with different materials such as ceramic, wood, textiles, and silver. Eventually training as a social worker, it was natural for him to be drawn toward art as therapy. For Tobbe, the creative process is a powerful and transformative journey for both the artist and the viewer. Tobbes working process begins with a small feeling or thought, usually triggered by an encounter. Drawing on his own memories and experiences, a theme emerges. A sketch. Then to the forge. The iron is heated to 1,000 degrees, at which point it becomes malleable. There is a brief moment in which the iron can be shaped. An encounter between Tobbe and the iron, brief and fleeting, then the metal is plunged into cold water and the expression is frozen.

2019 Galleri Norberg Sweden
2019 Galleri SOOT Norway
2018 Galleri SOOT Norway
2018 Vestfossen kunstlaberatorium
2018 Lillestrøm kunstforening
2018 Baerums Verk Norway
2018 Kunst Rett Vest Norway
2017 Baerum Kunsthall Norway
2017 Baerums Verk Norway
2017 Kunst Rett Vest Norway
2017 Workers galleri Wales
2017 Lighthouse Akranes Iceland
2017 Mlada Boleslav Tjeckia

Current Exhibition

2016 Baerum kunsthall Norway
2016 Gassbyggningen BV Norway
2016 Kunst Rett Vest Dikemark Norway
2016 Rottneros sculpture park Sweden
2016 Baerums Verk, Oslo, Norway
2016 Sandvika Bygård, Oslo, Norway
2016 Kunsthandverkerne, Oslo, Norway
2016 Arthouse Limburg, The Netherlands
2016 Borlänge Konsthall, Borlänge, Sweden
2015 On the Sixth Day, Sandvika Kommunegård, Oslo, Norway
2015 Windows into Souls, JedMalitz2, New Orleans, USA
2015 Art in Mind, Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK
2015 Summer Exhibition, Rottneros Sculpture Park, Rottneros, Sweden
2015 Kunst Rett Vest, Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Høvikodden, Norway
2015 Interpretations of the Kalevala Verses, Fiskars, Finland
2014 Stunning Pictures, Drammen Collective, Norway
2014 Gallery Iron Made, Gothenburg Collective, Gothenburg, Sweden
2014 Back to Nature, S9 Oslo Collective,...