Frie paints only from memory, never by replicating real landscapes. Nevertheless, his works are rooted in the landscape tradition, particularly the Symbolist aesthetic of using landscapes to express abstract concepts such as mental states and memories, and the romantic tradition of imbuing scenery with a powerful emotive presence. The small size and the white frame enclosing the picture plane highlight the limits of experience, inviting us to picture the landscape that extends beyond the picture frame. The dark-hued sculptures are like three-dimensional negatives of the paintings or gateways that lead us deeper inside their mystical world.
Frie is one of Sweden’s most renowned contemporary artists. He has exhibited widely across Europe and participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United States and Asia. His work is found in museums such as Stockholm’s Moderna Museum and the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. He is also represented in numerous private collections across Europe and the United States. Frie won the Ars Fennica Award in 1998.
