'The sunday flotilla' — Charlotte Swiden

Artist Statement

Charlotte Swiden (b. 1980, Sweden) moved to Australia in 2005, settling in Melbourne/Naarm. She now lives and works on Boon wurrung (Bunurong) land. With a background in art, Swiden transitioned into the field of design. Following a ten-year hiatus and the birth of her second child, she returned to her painting practice with an undeniable urge to reconnect with her artistic roots. Drawing on personal reflections of her Scandinavian upbringing and her new home, Swiden’s work has been shaped by the interplay of two identities, two cultures, and the tensions that lie between them. In the soft discord of existence between two worlds, Swiden weaves themes of rituals, folklore, and modern life. Playing with ambiguity, she allows objects and figures to break and layer over one another – symbolically destabilising boundaries and reshaping them in their new environments.

Theme: SCAPE

I grew up by the sea in Malmö, Sweden, and after spending fourteen years in the heart of Melbourne, I began to feel like a dried up fish. Returning to the coast felt like coming home, yet it also raised questions about my true sense of belonging. The interplay and conflict between my two cultures are a constant presence in my work. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m subconsciously recreating a mirror life of my origins. The natural world has been a recurring theme in my paintings, serving as a bridge between my two homes and weaving a tapestry that connects past with present, old with new. Through a nostalgic lens, I seek to transcend the personal origins of my art and address our shared environmental experience. My goal is to invite viewers to reflect on their own themes of duality and our collective connection to our home—Earth.

— Charlotte Swiden, Dromana