Kerstin Engström

Nature has always been an important part of my life. I was born and live in Sweden. In Sweden we have opportunities to visit nature and forests regardless of where we live in the country.

The archetype Nature Child was evident when I started to choose my various archetypes.

My artwork The Clearing is inspired from my experiences as a Nature Child.

The artist-made book has covers made of wood from a tree in a forest near my home. The bark and the moss are still around the sliced branch, and it still has a faint scent from the forest. The small watercolor landscapes are inspired from places I visit often.

The title, The Clearing, comes from a special place in a forest – a clearing – where I had a secret place when I was a child. It was a place I visited when I was alone, and needed comfort from nature.

The title is also inspired by a poem, The Clearing, by the Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer.

It is a poem about a place in a forest that only can be found by those who have gotten lost. For me the the clearing is all the unexpected things that can happen when you are lost and don’t know what you are looking for.

It is not only related to places but also to things that happen in your life.

The love of books, words and letters has always been deep within me. In my profession, what I do for a living, as lawyer and judge, words have been my primary working tool.

My artistic path started with a mix of watercolor and calligraphy. To do this I needed sketchbooks and I started to make such books on my own. I took a course in bookbinding and loved the craft. I have studied traditional bookbinding for many years.

My aim is to combine my different skills in artisan books. I experiment with techniques, materials, form and contents. Sometimes something unexpected happens, such as this little book, inspired by the secret clearing from my childhood and my Nature Child.

The Clearing 2022 3” x 3” Artist Book, wooden boards and watercolor NFS kerstin@stenlia.se Instagram kerstinstenlia