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“For me it has never been a problem of wanting to be modern." Gudmar Olovson, one of the major sculptors of the 20th century, was born in Sweden in 1936. He studied at the Swedish Royal Academy of Arts before moving to Paris in 1960. There, he was immediately thrown into the melting pot of sculptural greats, such as Maillol, Bourdelle, Degas and Rodin and he fell in love with the city. In return France awarded him the Prix de la Grèce de l’art libre 1963 of MAM Paris, and in 1970 the Médaille d’Or from La Société des Artistes Français for Les Deux Arbres. In 2011 France made him Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and he remained in France until he died in 2017. Despite his combined home and studio being in Paris, he never forgot his Nordic roots and many of his works exist in private and public collections across Sweden and France. Included in the Sculpture Walk is his most famous work and one of the most emblematic, on the theme of the ‘Couple’ which was to run throughout his works. A monumental version of which was installed in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris in 1996 (see below) and and in a monographic sculpture park in Southern Sweden (see left), cementing his legacy in sculptural history. The estate is represented by eminent gallery partners in Sweden, France and the UK and all works are issued with a certificate. There is a publication in preparation on this artist and retrospectives being planned for 2026. Gudmar Olovson’s work can also, among other places, be viewed in: Le Jardin de l’Amour at Château de Cheverny, French Loire Valley 6 monumental works, Falsterbo Open Air Museum, (coastal Sweden) 5 monumental works, La Promenade de Cagnes-sur-Mer, French Riviera 2 monumental works, Château Petrus, France, Les Deux Arbres, Ferring Pharmaceutical HQ, Copenhagen, Denmark, Les Deux Arbres. “You the poet who has left the Nordic world to settle in France, where you dream and express yourself in bronze, you have finally made up your mind to exhibit some of your work. I would like the audience that discovers you to experience the fresh sensuality and yearning I felt the day I stepped over the threshold of your studio. It is necessary to mention that the bust you made of me is a source of happiness for me and of admiration to my friends.” Ingid Bergman (1980)

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