Grace Svensson Bondesson was born and raised in the Philippines. Graduated BS in Architecture and considers herself a ”self-taught” artist. “I believe that being an artist is a gift… My life experiences and lessons learned as a mother, were the first subjects of my artworks; and from there I realized that I wanted to pursue more on this field.” cited Grace.
Grace have been living in Sweden for 18 years. She was in her mid-20s when she took a Masteral Programme at Linkoping, Sweden, where she eventually met her husband and built her own family . “My art is the essence of my being– my emotions being a mother, a woman, as well as my family; my frustrations and desires. Through art, the “mother” within strives for a sense of purpose and place. Every piece is determined by my passion and love for my subject. I paint when I’m inspired to promote love, beauty and ease of mind.”
Change is constant. That also implies to our growth as a person, and to Grace as an artist. Though she only started painting in 2014, several years after moving to Sweden, her work have already evolved over the years, while on the journey trying to find her true self and style along the way. She started off painting women and children with acrylic and oil, but slowly evolved in doing more abstract pieces and nature. She also aims to make her art pieces make other people feel good about themselves.
Grace finds her inspiration in the artistic and bold colours of Van Gough and sought to be an inspiration to others as well. “Every artwork I do expresses a different message, but i want to convey a message of passion and beauty of life itself. I want people to be happy when they see my paintings, that life is so beautiful and full of colors. Seeing my paintings connect with my viewers is one of the best part”
The art scene is not an easy platform to jump into. It takes years of “introducing oneself” to reach your niche market; and this goes with every artist whether they are based in the Philippines or overseas. But with technology and the influence of social media which are now made available for everyone to use, exposing one’s artwork and reputation can jump start and reach a wider audience in a shorter amount of time, which something that Grace is also taking advantage of.
Being a Filipino artist living overseas, Grace encounters the same problems and obstacles as any other artist in her field. She has to work hard for years to be noticed and struggles on days when she feels her creative juices are not enough.
“Art remains a significant part of our society and I want to pass it down to our younger generations. My biggest dream is to teach and cater art session to everyone especially the kids, and to have an art gallery where a family can paint together. For me art is for everyone, so i want to share the same passion to them”
“From Van Gogh’s words, “If you hear a voice within you saying that you are painter, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced”. This words influenced my journey as an artist and as a person.” Grace added.
Grace plans to continue painting and is optimistic on where her brush will lead her. She is currently the co-founder and member of the Filipino Artists Association of Sweden. Some of her artworks are currently on display at the Van Gogh Gallery for the 25th Edition of “Art Innsbruck 2021” in Innsbruck, Austria.
Group and Solo Art shows:
2021 December – Filipino Artist at The Philippine Embassy in Stockholm Sweden
2021 October – Art Fair, Van Gogh Art Gallery, Innsbruck, Austria
2021 October- Solo Art Exhibition, NBV Linköping, Sweden
2019 September- Gallery Sander, Linköping, Sweden
2018 September- Three Women Gallery Bellman, Stockholm, Sweden
2018 February – Scandic Hallandia, Halmstad, Sweden
2018 January – Scandic Star Lund, Sweden
2017 October- Teater Hotel Malmö, Sweden
2017 September- Scandic Hotel, Karlskrona, Sweden
2017 June – Philippine Cultural Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
2017 May – Art Exhibition, NBV Linköping Sweden
2016 May – Art Exhibition, NBV Linköping Sweden
2015 November – Solo Art Exhibition, NBV Linköping, Sweden