Folke Heybroek : Exhibitions

Kunstzaal van Lier, Amsterdam

18th February – 9th March 1939

Fresh from the wilds of Bönhamn, a far northern Swedish fishing village, the youthful and recently graduated Folke was able to show many new works expressing his joy in the nature of his maternal country. This was also the moment when he fell in love with the woman who was soon to become his wife, also a painter working there.

For all that, he did not sell one work at this important gallery despite many glowing reviews. Mr van Lier called it a typical Dutch resistance to a young, unknown artist, “however once you become a little bit famous they will start to buy with prices twenty fold higher.”

Many of these paintings were dispersed over the war years, often only leaving a photograph as a record. 

Gummeson Gallery, Stockholm.

11th – 23rd January 1942

Folke recalls “It was very, very cold those days. One day it was -40C and a polar snowstorm…” Despite that, this exhibition was a great success with 22 out of 60 works sold. The paintings were from his days in Holland, Sicily and Mariefred.

Eskilstuna Konstmuseum

29th November – 12th December 1944

There was a power cut at the opening of this exhibition, Folke describes rushing out to get candles, and how it all became rather magical but people soon went home. Then days of nothing, until Folke made a show with fireworks, after which the public came and bought, making this show a success with many positive reviews.

Lorensbergs Konstmuseum, Gothenburg

27th April – 14th May 1945

Art materials were in short supply at this time, so Folke was limited in what he could achieve. The pictures shown included ‘Horses on the Mere’ which he referred to as “Tachist.” There were good sales, a total of 18 oils and 10 gouaches.

Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm

Autumn Salon 1945

Here Folke records that he sold five oils, including “Spring in the Beechwoods” and “Brita Writes”, as well as a lithograph of Mariefred.

Eskilstuna Art Society Collective

20th September – 14th October 1945

Only the catalogue page of this exhibition survives, it is thought that he sold two oils, “Flower Shop” and “Malla” and two drawings.

Galerie Moderne, Stockholm

13th – 26th November 1948

Folke showed at this important gallery some of his striking new paintings, “Owl”, “Seaside Cliffs” and “Maurice Paints”. He also showed his 20 pen and ink drawings from The Greek Myths.

Uppsala Konsthall,

1949

This exhibition included paintings from Folke’s stay in the Loire, some inspired by the remarkable early Romanesque capitals at the entrance of Abbaye de Fleury at Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire.

Bultlokalen, Hallstahammar, Sweden

1950

There is no list for this exhibition that has survived, a contemporary newsclip shows paintings of “A Fisherman” and “Child with Cats”.

Roggeborgen, Strängnäs

1950

Works included “The Great Destroyer” and various village scenes from Saint-Gondon in the Loire.

Galerie Moderne, Stockholm

6th February 1951

In 1949, Folke and his family moved to Paris, Amboise and Saint-Gondon. Inspired by his many impressions from the Left Bank in Paris, then villages, towns and country life as they travelled south, Folke was very active. Shown in this exhibition were “Old Mother and Daughter”, “In the Luxembourg” and “The Waggon Maker’s Yard”. There were good sales and enthusiastic reviews. 

SDS Centralen, Malmö

7th – 20th April 1951

At this exhibition in the entrance of the headquarters of Southern Swedish Daily Newspaper, there were again enthusiastic reviews, one featuring “Cat in the Kitchen”. A total of 48 oil paintings were included, largely a re-run of Galerie Moderne of the previous year, with the addition of “In the Lock” and “Calvados Distiller”.

Uppsala Konsthall

5th March 1953

After his return from France there was a change in Folke’s style, a reduction of colour and a more simple, plainer palette. In a different vein, he included words and decorative elements to narrate the story of Ahab and Jezebel.

Lorensbergs Konstmuseum, Gothenburg

March 1954

Almost a repeat of his previous exhibition, with the addition of some new works in his new simplified style, as “In the Bedroom” or “Family out Riding”.

Erik Hjortsjo’s Studio, Kavlingenvagen, Lund

1954

Around this time Folke was heavily preoccupied with many commissions, so this was an exhibition of existing, unsold works from his studio.

Uppsala Konsthall

1964

This exhibition was an exuberant expression of his energy and sense of humour on the theme of “Goats and Horses”. Illuminated by Sigurd Persson’s silver candlesticks, this was “Sixties Happening” using found art.

Exhibition of “Potties” in Linnéträdgården, Uppsala

1965

Again, Folke worked with found art, making a series of fantasy wooden potty stands to captivate and amuse both the young and old.

Joint family exhibition Västerås, Sweden

1967

With little commission work and now living in Nykvarn, a dilapidated mill complex which was so difficult to keep warm in the winter, Folke had a need to sell paintings to bring in money. He arranged, over succeeding years, three joint family exhibitions with his wife and daughters.

Joint family exhibition, Enköping

1968

In 1947 Folke had made a series of pen and ink drawings of subjects from the Greek Myths, some of which were still in his studio. He made an impromptu decision to cut them up into small elements and glue them into a lively collage. This work, titled ‘Apropos the Greeks’, was purchased by the Director of Moderna Museet, Stockholm. There are five other works by Folke at the museum.

Joint family exhibition, Södertälje

1969

Again Folke, Brita, Meike and Beatrice all exhibit together, a mixture of existing works from their studios with some more recent.

Galerie de Sfinx, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 241, Amsterdam

9th – 27th May 1973

With a return to Holland and very much enjoying the cheerful informality of the land of his birth, Folke’s art now more reflected people’s daily lives and enthusiasm in this highly sociable country. He found a new lively style full of colour and gaiety, which found a ready audience and market.

A Folke Retrospective Exhibition, Eriksberg School, Sweden

June 2007

Eriksberg school has a large mural by Folke in its entrance hall, on the theme of “Earth, Wind and Sea”. It generously hosted a retrospective exhibition of Folke’s work showing 70 paintings, drawings, sculptures and his organ shutters for Engelbrekt Church, Stockholm. It was well attended, including many of Folke’s still living acquaintances.

The North Wall Exhibition, Oxford

2007

This was largely a repeat of the exhibition held at Eriksberg School. The exhibition was enthusiastically received by the Oxford public and also by members of the Anglo-Swedish society who visited.