Hej Angels! Forever
Isabel Theselius
Opening reception 6.17.22
6pm-9pm
Elephant Art Space is pleased to present Hej Angels! Forever by New York based artist Isabel Theselius. For this exhibition Theselius has created an oversized faux leather vest, with detailed embroidered patches and enlarged pins. This piece has been meticulously copied from a motorcycle vest that belonged to Theselius deceased stepfather, Swedish artist Anders Bom Lindén, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2012.
Anders Bom Lindén graduated from Malmö Art Academy in 1998 and was active as an artist until his death. He made work from his own experiences, reflecting on themes such as loneliness, desire, and expressions of outsider-ness as well as freedom, using a variety of mediums.
From the time Theselius was an art student, until today, she has been greatly influenced and inspired by Lindéns mode of working and living, blurring the boundaries between art and life, reality and fantasy. Bom was both a friend, colleague and father figure for Theselius.
The act of copying his motorcycle vest is an attempt to capture some of his spirit. The oversized vest is accompanied and back lit by a red neon sign spelling out the phrase ”Hej Angels!” (”Hey Angels!”), a slip of the tongue that Lindén used when referring to the motorcycle club Hells Angels. This neon sign stems from a larger ongoing tribute-project about Theselius’s stepfather first exhibited at Room Gallery in Irvine in 2014. In that iteration of the project Theselius had airbrushed her stepfather's house in the Swedish countryside onto her car to be exhibited and then driven around Los Angeles, a city he always wanted to visit but was never able to.
A third piece, consisting of a female torso lighter that used to belong to Lindén, is displayed on a small shelf attached to the wall. The lighter has a perpetually lit flame.
Hej Angels! Forever marks the 10 year anniversary since Anders Bom Lindéns passing and serves as an homage to his eccentric personality and enthusiasm for American motorcycle and car culture. For Theselius this exhibition functions as a way to process her own ongoing grief and is a reason to continue celebrating her stepfathers memory. It is also a nod to all the Angels gone and still around.
Gallery open Saturdays 12-5pm or by appointment
Closing event on Sunday, June 26th, from 4-7 PM
Closing event on Sunday, June 26th, from 4-7 PM
This exhibition has received generous support from The Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
Isabel Theselius Bio
Isabel Theselius creates drawings, paintings, objects, videos, and installations to investigate themes including mortality, desire, and superstition. Drawing from her own experiences, memories, and family relationships, Theselius creates work that often skirts the edge of social desire and incorporates indulgent flights of fancy to challenge the viewer to engage with their own desires.
Originally from Lund, Sweden, Theselius earned an MFA in Studio Art from the University of California Irvine and a BFA in Fine Arts from Valand School of Fine Arts in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In 2021 Theselius received an unrestricted two year Work Grant, to foster her artistic practice, from The Swedish Arts Grants Committee. During 2020 Theselius was the recipient of several grants and awards, among them The Foundation for Contemporary Arts . During 2019 Theselius participated in a 3 month artist residency at Crosstown Arts in Memphis, Tennessee, where she also exhibited one of her projects in a solo exhibition at the Crosstown Arts Gallery. In 2018, she received a year-long Work Grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and participated in an artist exchange project in Tiznit, Morocco.
Recent solo shows include Galleri Slätten (2021), in Malmö, Sweden, Pio Pico Gallery (2020) in Los Angeles, Monte Vista Projects (2020) in Los Angeles, Detroit Gallery (2019) in Stockholm, Sweden, Crosstown Arts 430 Space (2019), Memphis Tennessee and OK Corral (2018) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Isabel Theselius creates drawings, paintings, objects, videos, and installations to investigate themes including mortality, desire, and superstition. Drawing from her own experiences, memories, and family relationships, Theselius creates work that often skirts the edge of social desire and incorporates indulgent flights of fancy to challenge the viewer to engage with their own desires.
Originally from Lund, Sweden, Theselius earned an MFA in Studio Art from the University of California Irvine and a BFA in Fine Arts from Valand School of Fine Arts in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In 2021 Theselius received an unrestricted two year Work Grant, to foster her artistic practice, from The Swedish Arts Grants Committee. During 2020 Theselius was the recipient of several grants and awards, among them The Foundation for Contemporary Arts . During 2019 Theselius participated in a 3 month artist residency at Crosstown Arts in Memphis, Tennessee, where she also exhibited one of her projects in a solo exhibition at the Crosstown Arts Gallery. In 2018, she received a year-long Work Grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and participated in an artist exchange project in Tiznit, Morocco.
Recent solo shows include Galleri Slätten (2021), in Malmö, Sweden, Pio Pico Gallery (2020) in Los Angeles, Monte Vista Projects (2020) in Los Angeles, Detroit Gallery (2019) in Stockholm, Sweden, Crosstown Arts 430 Space (2019), Memphis Tennessee and OK Corral (2018) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
