Plaza Västerås - Startsida

ARTIST

JAN HÅFSTRÖM

Art at the Plaza

Jan Håfström – “The Stranger”

Jan Håfström (born 1937 in Stockholm) is a prominent Swedish painter, draughtsman, sculptor, filmmaker, art critic, and author who has been active since the 1960s. His work often revolves around imaginative comic-book motifs and childhood memories that explore time, existence, and identity. His alter egos, symbolism, and unique mix of abstraction and figurative art have cemented his position as one of the leading contemporary artists in the Nordic region.

Education & inspiration

  • He studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm between 1963 and 1968.
  • During the 1960s, he drew inspiration from comic books such as Fantomen (The Phantom), Robinson Crusoe and Tarzan – in a spirit influenced by Pop Art and minimalism.

Artistic style & themes

  • Håfström has alternated between figurative and abstract art, integrating early childhood memories, symbolism and storytelling with elements of magical realism. The images often reflect themes such as time, memory and the struggle between good and evil – expressed through iconography such as Fantomen (The Phantom) and Mr. Walker.
  • The figurative alter-ego character Mr Walker is used, among other things, as a critical comment on contemporary masculinity – solitary, silent and emotionally distant.

Key works

  • Two of his most well-known paintings, The Forest (1968) and Grandmother (1972), are considered classics and are part of the Moderna Museet collection.
  • In 2001 he created the exhibition "Walker" at Färgfabriken in Stockholm – where Mr Walker and comic art emerged from strict abstraction.
  • In the exhibition "The White Bus" (2009–2019), a dramatic journey with dead passengers was retold — a symbolic reminder of the Holocaust and a tribute to the rescue operation of people in concentration camps. The series was shown at Artipelag in 2020–2021 and is now part of their collection.

International recognition

Exhibitions

  • Håfström has represented Sweden at the Venice Biennale no fewer than four times: in 1980, 1990, 2003 and 2009.
  • His works are held in major institutions such as Moderna Museet and the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, as well as the Astrup Fearnley Museum and Høvikodden Kunstsenter in Oslo.
  • He has also been active as an art critic and has written texts on contemporary art.
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