Tobias Ekman Nilsson

Born in Sweden, studied at the Nordic Art School in Kokkola, Finland, and graduated after studies at Gerrit Rietveld Academie.
Now lives and works in Amsterdam.
I find working with pastels difficult but it produces a very satisfying result. The fragility of the medium gives the surface a velvet look, a lifelike quality perfect for both portraits and still life, both airy and dense at the same time.
Pastel art had its first golden days during the 18th century with artists such as Rosalba Carriera and Maurice Quentin de La Tour as leading practitioners.
This was a time both brutal and enlightened where tradition was losing the battle with modernity in a Europe consumed by revolution and war.
For some lucky few it was all fun and games until it all came crashing down in the end.
It can be seen as an appealing time of contradiction which can be illustrated and symbolised as someone crying on a beautiful day or an impressive tower of fruit balancing but ready to fall over. Softly dressed people doing terrible things to each other.
Looking up to the sky at clouds that look inspiring and permanently peaceful, until the clouds become a terrible storm and it all ends with terror.