When Lars Lerin exhibits at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, it is in premises he himself has visited many times to see his idols. Now it is he who is the idol. The museum expects such a rush that visitors must pre-book free tickets to avoid the influx becoming unmanageable.
How does he think the exhibition will be received? He does not want to speculate.
It is an image of who I am now. I cannot adapt to what someone else expects.
From Egypt
The exhibition features a number of images from Egypt. The inspiration comes from an old photo album from 1904 that Lars Lerin bought at an auction and was inspired by.
They are a bit like watercolors that time has faded. I thought it was so incredibly beautiful that I had to try to translate it into watercolor.
The motifs are new, but the approach is not entirely unfamiliar to him.
I did the same thing a long time ago with my grandmother's photo album. It feels like I never really finish anything. You go around in circles and never really get clear.
Other motifs Lars Lerin highlights as new for him are a series of images showing the small town of Skoghall in the evening – high-rise buildings, a gas station, a preschool.
Some depict the fishing industry in Lofoten and Istanbul. In one image, a high pile of cod heads towers in the foreground.
You see it very much there and I thought it was very picturesque. I think I can find things in almost anything. It's a lot about light and humidity and weather.
Not Decided
Besides his artistry, Lars Lerin has become a popular TV personality, currently featured in "Lerin at the Retirement Home". But whether there are any new TV projects in the works, he cannot quite answer.
It is not directly decided yet. It may happen again. But it has been very fun with the elderly and meeting them.
The series has got him thinking about aging.
I have trouble defining myself as old in that category. I think I am middle-aged. This transformation... to become someone else when you look in the mirror.
He can find beauty and new motifs in almost anything, but contemplating new wrinkles in the mirror is no source of inspiration.
I have painted a lot with older people and I really enjoyed that. But my own aging, I don't think I have any desire to get stuck in.
Lars Lerin's exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm runs from January 25 to March 8.
Tickets are free but must be pre-booked on the institution's website.
