Claes Hake
Claes Hake | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 February 1945 Mölndal, Sweden |
| Died | 16 October 2025 (aged 80) |
| Education | Valand Art Academy |
| Known for | Sculpting |
| Notable work |
|
Claes Hake (7 February 1945 – 16 October 2025) was a Swedish sculptor. He was known for monumental stone sculptures, which were displayed in public settings such as parks and train stations. Two of his most notable works are Solringen, displayed at the Gothenburg University Library, and the memorial for the victims of the 1998 Gothenburg discotheque fire. His sculptures have been displayed in Scandinavia, Germany, and the United States.[1]
Early life and education
Hake was born in Mölndal on 7 February 1945. He was dyslexic.[2][3] He was accepted to the Valand Art Academy in 1963, at the age of 17.[4][5] He received his master's degree at 22.[5][6] He was first interested in painting before sculpting.[7]
Career
In the first ten years after graduating from Valand, he sold just three sculptures. He supported himself working as a stagehand at the Gothenburg City Theatre.[8]
Hake's 1982 bronze sculpture Bohuslän, usually displayed at Gothenburg Central Station, was stolen in 1992. It was later recovered and donated to the city's cultural committee.[9][10] He sculpted Solringen, which was installed in 1993 at the Gothenburg University Library.[7] His 1995 sculpture Arch is displayed in Umedalen skulpturpark.[11] He was awarded a ten-year fellowship from the Swedish Fine Arts Foundation in 1997.[12]
With fellow sculptors Pål Svensson and Kent Karlsson, he had a group showing in Gothenburg in 2005.[13]
He designed the memorial for the victims of the 1998 Gothenburg discotheque fire. The names of the 62 victims were engraved on a slab of polished blue granite, measuring 10 m (33 ft) long and 2 m (6.6 ft) high.[14] The memorial was unveiled in 2008, on the tenth anniversary of the fire.[15]
His 2020 solo exhibition at the Wetterling Gallery received praise from Birgitta Rubin in Dagens Nyheter.[16] In 2024, many of his works (made between 1962 and 2024) were exhibited in a career retrospective at the Nordic Watercolour Museum in Tjörn. The exhibit was acclaimed by Boel Ulfsdotter in Göteborgs-Posten.[17]
He exhibited Döskallar och Dönickar, containing 70 bronze sculptures, at Galleri Thomassen from 13 September to 5 October 2025. Hake was seriously ill at the time of the show, and Karin Frid of Göteborgs-Posten characterised the exhibit as a "chance to say goodbye."[18]
Death
Hake died on 16 October 2025, at the age of 80.[19]
References
- ^ Tiberg, Cecilia; Lundberg, Rebecca (16 October 2025). "Konstnären Claes Hake är död" [Artist Claes Hake has died]. SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Callesson, Sofia (20 March 2016). "Han vill skapa livet ut". TTELA (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Soderholm, Carolina (8 June 2024). "RECENSION: Bilden av Hake både bekräftas och nyanseras" [REVIEW: The image of Hake is both confirmed and nuanced]. Norra Skåne (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "Nya elever vid Valand" [New students at Valand]. Dagens Nyheter. 18 September 1963. p. 2.
- ^ a b Andersson, Jan (16 October 2025). "Göteborgskonstnären Claes Hake är död" [Gothenburg artist Claes Hake has died]. Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Bergström, Lotta (21 August 2008). "Hake i brons och järnoxid" [Hake in bronze and iron oxide]. Hallands Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ a b Segraeus, Sara (6 February 2016). "Hake breddar bilden" [Hake broadens the picture]. Folkbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Törnqvist, Arne (5 January 1982). "Att måla i Göteborg är ett ensamt jobb" [Painting in Gothenburg is a lonely job]. Dagens Nyheter. p. 4.
- ^ "Ett ton bronsskulptur stulen" [One-ton bronze sculpture stolen]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 29 April 1992. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "Skulptur doneras till Göteborg - P4 Göteborg". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 4 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "Clas Hake – Umedalens Skulpturpark". Umedalen skulpturpark (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "22 nya långtidsstipendiater" [22 new long-term scholarship recipients]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 27 March 1997. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ Benkel, Ulf (29 August 2005). "Tror stenhårt på konsten". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Sandberg, Peter (29 October 2008). "Minnesmärke för brandoffren avtäcktes" [Memorial for fire victims unveiled]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2447. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ Eriksson, Annika H (30 October 2008). "Stämningsfull minnesceremoni - Ekot" [Atmospheric memorial ceremony - Ekot]. Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ Rubin, Birgitta (25 November 2020). "Claes Hakes konst har styrka och schvung" [Claes Hake's art has strength and drive]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ Ulfsdotter, Boel (18 February 2025). "Recension: "Jag drabbas omedelbart att kraften hos Claes Hake", skriver Boel Ulfsdotter" [Review: “I am immediately struck by the power of Claes Hake,” writes Boel Ulfsdotter.]. Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Frid, Karin (13 September 2025). "Recension: Det är känslosamt att möta Claes Hakes filurer" [Review: It is emotional to encounter Claes Hake's characters]. Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ Thordén, Edvard (16 October 2025). "Claes Hake fick betraktaren att känna både vördnad och litenhet" [Claes Hake made the viewer feel both awe and humility]. Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
External links
- Claes Hake at IMDb