Whose stories are depicted in art history and how? Salad Hilowle’s breakthrough came with Vanus Labor at Konstakademien in Stockholm in 2021, an exhibition dealing with how Afro-Swedes have historically been depicted in art and culture. The works Sculpture and Amin Badin were created during his years studying at the Royal Institute of Art.
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Sallad Hilowle, Skulptur och Amin Badin, Diptyk (2022)
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Sallad Hilowle, Skulptur och Amin Badin, Diptyk (2022)
Image 1 of 2. Sallad Hilowle, Skulptur och Amin Badin, Diptyk (2022)
Image 2 of 2. Sallad Hilowle, Skulptur och Amin Badin, Diptyk (2022)
A young man standing in front of a mirror, captured on film in his everyday life. What happens when he looks in the mirror? On the wall next to the mirror hangs Gustaf Lundberg’s portrait of Couchi, or Gustav Badin, which was to become his Swedish name. The portrait from 1775 is part of Nationalmuseum’s collection and one of the very earliest depictions of Afro-Swedes in art history. Couchi came to Sweden as a little boy – he was presented to Queen Louisa Ulrika as a gift (!) from a statesman. His upbringing was inspired by Rousseau’s teachings and he was later employed as chamberlain at the Swedish court. His portrait features in the photograph Amin Badin, created by the artist Salad Hilowle while studying at the Royal Institute of Art. He recounts:
“Gustaf Lundberg paints a portrait of Badin in a way where you see a person and not just the idea of a black person. At the same time the portrait shows in a mundane sort of a way how Badin through a forced migration became part of Sweden and the royal family. The portrait of Badin together with a young black of today is kind of like a self-portrait of me.”
– Salad Hilowle, Artist
The second work in the photo diptych, Sculpture, also bears historical layers that meet everyday life. A Somali headrest, a sarong with the text Mogadishu on it and a tablecloth in a room with patterned wallpaper. Something jars the images. A handwritten, blurry note tacked on the wall. Who wrote that? What does it say? Is it a letter? To whom? The details create layer upon layer of stories and depending on who you are, you see different fragments with different meanings. Perhaps your thoughts are thrown several hundred years back in time, to the still-lifes of art history with their hidden or open symbolism.
Artist’s Biography Salad Hilowle
Salad Hilowle was born in 1986. He obtained an MFA from the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm and his practice embraces a wide variety of media, including filmmaking. He lives and works in Stockholm.
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