ARTIST
JONATHAN "OLLIO" JOSEFSSON
Art at the Plaza
Jonathan "Ollio" Josefsson - "Matta 150"
The artist Jonathan “Ollio” Josefsson (b. 1978) is a Gothenburg-based Swedish visual and textile artist. MATTA 150 represents his work with hand-tufted rugs, where the lines and colours of graffiti are freely translated into textile.
Background
Josefsson started out as a graffiti artist in Gothenburg under the alias Ollio in the 1990s, and later studied at HDK (the Academy of Design and Crafts), where he obtained an MFA in textile art. He lives and works in Gothenburg.
Working methods & materials
Jonathan works primarily with hand-tufted rugs and painting (including acrylic, ink, and spray paint). His expression emerges through playful, intuitive improvisation; he himself describes how his textile studies led to hand-tufted works that transfer the colour and form of graffiti into textile.
Motifs & visual language
The world of forms is characterised by organic, abstract shapes, bold outlines, and strong colour – a meeting between street and gallery, where movement and “formless form” drives the image-making.
The work "Matta 150"
The title follows the artist’s recurring rug numbering (e.g. Matta nr 202, Rug #238). The work is part of his series of hand-tufted rugs, each executed as a unique piece. (Information on medium and numbering is supported by gallery sources; no dimensions or dates are given here.)