The Life and Artistic Journey of Folke Ricklund
Born in Solberg, Sweden, Folke Ricklund was a painter who dedicated his life to his craft. He pursued his artistic studies at the Tekniska skolan - Högre konstindustriella skolan in Stockholm between 1920 and 1924. Following a period of working as a decorator, he held an exhibition at the Svensk-franska konstgalleriet in 1930. His career included several solo exhibitions in locations such as Stockholm at Galerie Moderne, Färg och Form, Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, and Modern konst i hemmiljö. He also participated in various group exhibitions both within Sweden and abroad. Throughout his life, he traveled extensively, visiting Italy, England, Mexico, and Africa.
Ricklund's life was deeply connected to the landscape, particularly during his time in Saxnäs, south of the Marsfjället massif. There, he lived in a functionalist villa built with his first wife, Emma Johansson, which overlooked Marsfjället. This home, known as Ricklundgården, served as a gathering place for many artist friends and became a museum and guesthouse for cultural workers after Emma's death. Later in life, he moved to Norrköping, though he maintained a mountain studio near Funäsdalen in Härjedalen, which he visited annually.
Works and Public Contributions
As a painter, Ricklund's work is represented in several notable institutions, including the Moderna museet, Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde in Stockholm, Norrköpings konstmuseum, Göteborgs konstmuseum, and the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. His portfolio includes public works such as an al secco wall painting in the Nordiska museet and decorative animal motifs for the S/S Drottningholm. He also contributed decorative paintings to the Stockholm Concert Hall, Handelshögskolan, and the Nordiska museet. Additionally, he contributed both text and illustrations to numerous books and magazines.
