Arch
Karl Patric Näsman
Sigtunastiftelsen, Sigtuna, Sweden
17 October – 29 November 2026
Opening Saturday 17 October, 14:00 – 16:00. Artist talk at 14:30 in the Chapel
Karl Patric Näsman works at the intersection of painting and sculpture, drawing inspiration from architecture, its materials, and simple geometric forms. Through time-consuming working processes, he tests and challenges the possibilities of materials, taking the repetitive methods of craftsmanship as both a starting point and a source of inspiration.
The exhibition title Arch refers both to Sigtunastiftelsen’s architecture, with its characteristic arches, and to the architectural qualities of the artist’s work. Karl Patric Näsman is interested in the arch as a load-bearing structure and as a transition between spaces. In architecture, the arch is not merely a form but also a construction that distributes weight, enables openings, and creates space. Similarly, the works in the exhibition form spatial constructions with openings and shifts that interact with their surroundings. This becomes particularly evident in the site-specific works that engage with Sigtunastiftelsen’s architecture, both indoors and outdoors, including Rosengården’s arcade and the Open-Air Church. Painting and sculpture become part of the same investigation, in which the works emerge as constructions and passages rather than flat surfaces to be viewed.
The arch can also be seen as a metaphor for the vast spaces of inner life, as expressed by the Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer in his celebrated poem Romanska bågar (Romanesque Arches):
“Inne i dig öppnar sig valv bakom valv oändligt. Du blir aldrig färdig, och det är som det skall.”
Näsman’s art remains in a state of becoming and can continually be reshaped. The arch also evokes monastic and ecclesiastical architecture, spaces designed to give form and expression to a world beyond the visible. With this exhibition, the artist seeks to explore a sacred expression, particularly in relation to the Chapel, where parts of the exhibition are presented.
Karl Patric Näsman (b. 1986) is an artist based in Stockholm. He holds an MFA in Fine Art from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design. His works have been exhibited in Stockholm and internationally in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Vienna. In 2016, he was awarded the Fredrik Roos Scholarship by a jury including representatives from Moderna Museet. Collaboration has long been a central part of Näsman’s practice, with several self-initiated projects both in Sweden and internationally.
Arch – List of Works (PDF, Swedish)
