Hi Mia. We would like to get to know you. Can you tell us about yourself?
I’m an artist based in Ann Arbor, MI, U.S., where I live with my family. I was born in Sweden but spent much of my childhood moving between various cities and countries. Because of these frequent changes, I learned several languages and the ability to adapt well to new situations but it also resulted in me often feeling like an outsider and somewhat rootless no matter where I live.
I attended university in New York City, where I graduated with a BA in fine art from Hunter College. While in school, I worked to support myself, and became a book designer for publishing companies such as Random House and Penguin Putnam before returning to a full time art practice. Currently I work from my home studio and juggle being an artist with being a mother to two teenagers (and one big dog).
When and how did you start painting?
I remember being about three or four years old and painting with other children on a large piece of paper at school. At one point the hair of the paintbrush I was using split in two parts and made a “v” shaped pattern that I could repeat over and over. This felt like magic. I think that was when I first fell in love with painting.
I have continued making art ever since, first as a student, and then pursuing it in bits when time allowed. In 2015 I stopped working as a designer and began making art full time.
Can you tell us about your work and what inspires you when painting?
I work in a variety of mediums, primarily painting in acrylic and drawing. My art explores ambiguous or mysterious relationships between people and their surroundings. In my landscapes I simplify what I see to create environments that appear more serene or quiet than our chaotic external world. In my figurative work, I often render shadows and, hidden or cropped, faces and bodies.
During the pandemic I made a large number of drawings. I find the use of colored pencils to be a humble medium— but also a satisfying one as it is meditative, simple, and portable.
I am often inspired by what I see around me. This could be something in nature, a shadow, a place, or a person that I find interesting. I take a lot of photographs that I use as reference when painting or drawing, and sometimes I look at old family photos.
You are also the founder of 813 Microgallery. Can you tell us about 813 Microgallery?
813 Microgallery is a minute space (the size of a large box) that is permanently installed in the front yard of our property.
A couple of years ago I had been thinking about alternative ways for artists to show their work. As I considered various complicated ideas, I discovered a microgallery in our town. Its founder, artist Joe Levickas, talked to me about it and I realized this would be an effective and manageable solution. 813 Microgallery is a way for me to share art with my community and showcase the work of diverse artists on a small scale.
We feature someone new every month or so. The space is informal, accessible, and also not intimidating for people who may otherwise never go to galleries. The artists we featured have enjoyed the challenge of making work on a small scale or creating an installation for the space, and so far we have received very positive feedback from the community.
What do you do besides painting?
When I am not making my own work or spending time with my family, I like meeting other artists and looking at art. I live about 40 minutes from Detroit and love going there with my friends.
I try to stay active and go outside every day no matter what the weather is like (it’s my Swedish genes, I can’t help it!). I take my dog for a long walk every morning, alone or with a friend and this past summer I started rollerblading again. I am an excitable person by nature, one who always enjoys trying new things. In the summer I tend to our vegetable garden, and right now I am growing mushrooms in a bucket in our living room. I also really enjoy listening to audiobooks.
Do you have any projects that you plan to realize?
I have an ongoing interactive project, titled Glimpses, that features partial painted portraits of people and captures feedback from the viewers — like the stories they imagine for the individuals I portray. It was shown in Ann Arbor in 2021 but I would love to exhibit it in other cities, or even other countries, to register the reaction of vastly different audiences to the same portraits.
https://www.instagram.com/miarisbergart/
https://www.instagram.com/813microgallery/
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