MESSEAGE

LIKE IN JAPAN, weaving has always been a cherished form of artistic expression in Sweden, marrying the truly popular with surprising refinement.

The great achievement of Anita Graffman is to have renewed our age old traditions with designs and concepts that are in tune with contemporary public buildings. At the same time they give these buildings a human dimension that they sometimes seem to be lacking.

I am proud and pleased to be able to introduce this innovative artist to the many admirers of textile art in Japan.

And I am anxious to express my sincere thanks to Kajima Corporation for having so generously invited Mrs Graffman to display some of her works at the splendid Kajima KI Building.

You are all cordially invited to admire the works of this leading Swedish textile artist both at the Embassy and at Kajima KI Building.

Magnus Vahlquist
Ambassador of Sweden

The Anita Graffman textile exhibition was held both at the Embassy of Sweden and at the Kajima Corporation KI Building in Tokyo and could be seen as well reflecting her personality, beliefs and view of life. The twenty five pieces of her creative art works manifesting her continuous pursuit of the primary senses and materials attracted many people to visit the exhibition.

For Anita who lives in Sweden, blessed with nature and surrounded by seas, nature is a major theme of her art production. Anita is thoroughly convinced that man needs to stay in nature in order to be able to find himself again. She has been inspired by, for instance, the sea, thunder, archaic rocks, petrified forests, waterfalls etc. Visitors to the exhibition must have been fascinated with her works revealing deep insights into the power of nature. Another important theme found in Anitas art are the eternal elements in history. In her masterpiece Labyrinth which is now placed in the City Hall of Stockholm, Anita has found an expression of the myths of the labyrinth as they exist in many civilizations.
Through her textile art, Anita tries to add softness to hardness in business space as well as in the busy lives of common people. Delicate textile material, warm colours, and gentle curvature found in for instance the Petrified Forest, art piece have given accents to the flat surface of many office buildings and comfort to many viewers. Anita thinks that art should revive memories of early warm and joyful moments, like mornings by the sea or autumn colours in a moss garden. Moreover, Anita argues that art should not be too sophisticated. Accordingly, visitors to the exhibitions have been welcome to touch her works by hand.
Thank you for visiting the exhibition.