Karl Axel Pehrson - The Family's Collection, part I

Karl Axel Pehrson – artist, designer and collector
Karl Axel Pehrson (1921–2005) was active as a painter, graphic artist and sculptor with a range of motifs that included everything from abstract movement patterns to colorful invented landscapes filled with imaginative plants and animals derived from his deep knowledge of entomology. He was a master of imagination.

The auction contains a representative and personal selection directly from the artist's family, from Karl Axel's wide production with everything from abstract paintings to distant timeless fantasy landscapes as well as sculptures and several lithographs. Here, sweeping swirls, suggestive organic shapes and strong colors meet in a rhythmic flow. All created with Karl Axel's rhythmically musical brush movements

The family says:
Karl Axel Pehrson (1921–2005) was an artist with an unusually broad talent and curiosity. Born in Örebro and raised in a large family characterized by faith and community, he early developed an approach to the world around him that was characterized by openness and respect. He has been described as a “man of peace”, with a rare ability to see the good in others.

His artistry moved freely between different expressions. With the same ease with which he created imaginative and detailed landscapes in his paintings, he could interpret music – both classical and jazz – with great empathy. Educated at, among others, Edvard Berggren’s and Otte Sköld’s painting schools as well as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, he came to belong to the circle of “men of 1947” and established himself early on as an artist in the Swedish post-war period.

In parallel with his artistry, Pehrson was also a prominent entomologist. His large collection of beetles, with over 35,000 specimens from all over the world, testifies to a deep scientific curiosity. A species also came to bear his name – Astraea Pehrsoni – and the collection was later donated to the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

1964 was the year when I moved to Stockholm and met my life partner, Karl Axel and Birgit’s only daughter Susanne and later my wife of 50 years. 1964 was also the year when Karl Axel participated in and won the Swedish Film Institute’s competition with his winning entry “The Golden Beetle” – ever since the film industry’s finest prize. It was also during the same year, 1963-64, that he held a Professorship of Art at the Stockholm Academy of Fine Arts.

His work has been exhibited both in Sweden and internationally – from Stockholm to Paris, New York and Tokyo – and is represented in several of the country’s museum collections. Through public decorations, measurements and sculpture, he has left a lasting impression in both public and private spaces.

In this auction, we in the family have selected works where we meet an artist whose work is characterized by both imagination and precision, where art, science and design interact in a personal and distinctive expression. In addition to his artistry, he was a beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather, quite simply "the best and only father-in-law I have ever had!".

Compiled by Björn.J.Pettersson, Enebyberg April 2026