BIOGRAPHY

Charlotte Swiden is a Swedish artist and designer living in Melbourne, Australia.
Her work has been greatly influenced by her Scandinavian heritage and love of nature.
Her art practise is expressive, reflecting on modern life and inner landscapes, using bold forms and rich colours.

Charlotte has a background in art and design and has spent the past twenty years working in graphic and product design both in Sweden and Australia. She moved to Australia in 2005 to undertake a BA in Communication Design at RMIT University where she focused on illustration and printmaking.
Her many years in design has given her an exceptional eye for form and function which translates into her art.

FOUNDATIONS: EXHIBITION 2020

“ Charlotte’s disciplined approach to composition and colour, honed as a graphic designer, has transmuted into something softer and closer to nature with this series of abstract paintings that pulsate with motifs of plants, primitive figures and intimations of landscape, rendered in a muted earthen palette.

This return to painting for Charlotte – and her first solo art exhibition – marks a nod to her foundations, and an exciting moment in her career trajectory.

Sarah Kelk, Art Coordinator – Modern Times

“Foundations is about returning home and letting my inner voice resurface.
It’s a journal of human behaviour, my roots, new leaves and a longing for nature.”
Charlotte Swiden

ARTIST STATEMENT & ETHOS

When I started Swiden Design in 2010, I wanted to create a collection of beautiful, high-quality designs that you would keep forever.
A unique aesthetic, quality materials and an ethical means of production has always been at the forefront of this process.
I also feel that the most important ethics are the ones we practice outside of our work hours and I always try and live my life as close to my values as possible.

In 2015 I had my second child which led me to shift focus. I started collaging and painting again and I took my practice back to my foundations. Time became so precious, I needed to simplify and become more minimalistic in what I chose to do.

Once I started painting again it was all so clear and easy. It was like I had an 800 page novel waiting inside, burning to escape. Painting is just who I am at my very core.

Some of the ways in which I seek to limit my impact on mother earth include:

· My paintings are original and made with time, love and utter care to last a life time
· The frames for my paintings are made with local, sustainable timber and craftsmanship
· I only use local crafts people to help my work come to life
· The designs I’ve created are all limited editions or one of pieces
· I use vegetable based inks which don’t harm the environment
· The paper I use for my prints are 100% cotton rag acid-free paper which is designed to meet gallery and museum longevity requirements
· The wall hangings are printed onto linen, one of the most sustainable fabrics we have available
· Non-toxic, water based dyes are used on printed fabrics

This is all good, but I truly believe that we can all do a little bit better than what we are currently doing so I constantly challenge my practice to be more sustainable for the long term.