Unfolding, 2025
A warm welcome to the book release and exhibition opening at Café Klotet on Thursday, May 15th, in the presence of the participating artists and the book's graphic designer Markel Ahlenius.
In connection with the book release, the artists will also exhibit works from their respective artistic careers in the dining room. The works will be on display at Café Klotet until Sunday, July 20th. During Stockholm Art Week, Café Klotet will present a brand new book and a group exhibition of a number of exciting and established artists.
Unfolding Image
Group exhibition with Inez Jönsson, Ylva Carlgren, Martin Kozlowski, Juri Markkula and Karl Patric Näsman
15.05.2025 – 20.07.2025
Unfolding Image – A Contemporary Approach to the Japanese Folding Screen is a richly illustrated book that presents a unique cultural exchange between the Japanese folding screen maker Koto Kataoka and five contemporary artists based in Sweden. The book collects and deepens all parts of the project – from the first workshops and exhibitions at the Konstnärshuset and the Museum of East Asia in Stockholm in 2021, to the final exhibition at the Swedish Embassy in Tokyo in 2022.
Through a combination of text and photographic documentation, the book depicts this intercultural collaboration and examines how Ylva Carlgren, Inez Jönsson, Martin Kozlowski, Juri Markkula and Karl Patric Näsman interpret and transform the folding screen within their contemporary artistic practices. While highlighting each artist’s individual expression, the reader is invited into the working processes, materials and with a careful documentation of the ten finished works, all in relation to the folding screen’s form, material and cultural tradition.
The Swedish artists were carefully chosen for their ability to relate to both the aesthetic form and the cultural significance of the Japanese folding screen, byōbu. Each screen was hand-made by Kataoka, based on the artists’ sketches and specifications. Through this artistic dialogue, each artist was influenced by the cultural and technical aspects of the folding screen, while remaining true to their own artistic identities. The result was ten folding screens that balance the Japanese craft tradition with a clear, contemporary expression.
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Ylva Carlgren, Inez Jönsson and Karl Patric Näsman share a strong affinity for craftsmanship, which is evident in their choice of materials and in the time-consuming, meticulous work processes. Markkula and Kozlowski take a different but complementary direction, integrating digital aesthetics and new technology into their works. Markkula’s work is shaped by industrial manufacturing methods and machine processes, while Kozlowski uses a layer-on-layer technique in his paintings on canvas and paper, inspired by digital image editing.
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The book also contains in-depth descriptions of the materials and places of origin that were crucial for the project, including Niigata – known for its dense cedar forests and vibrant wood industry, and Echizen in Fukui Prefecture with its long tradition of handmade washi paper. In September 2024, Karl Patric Näsman returned to Japan to research and document these places together with Kataoka, which resulted in valuable new meetings and material that further deepen the context of the book. With deep respect for Japanese craft tradition, the works presented in this book unfold as a contemporary Swedish interpretation of the idea of the folding screen.