The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every sector of our society, For artists, the economic effects of the pandemic may have been further aggravated by the fact most rely on places that would show their work. With those places shut down, many are in the economic risk of losing their workshops and even their homes. Local Swedish artist Lina Burman is one of them. Having had to close her gallery in Stockholm for various months. She was forced to showcase her work in her own home, a boathouse in the Swedish Archipielago. However, as the majority owner, another Self-employed artist has decided to sell due to the economic crisis, she is at risk of losing her home and workshop.
On assignment for National Geographic GenGeo: Storytelling for impact course
For this submission, I wanted to tell you the story of my mother Lina. Lina Burman is a Swedish local artist from Umeå. She is currently living in a boat in the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden.
Due to COVID 19, she was forced to close down her gallery store in central Stockholm. She then turned her home boat/art workshop into a gallery exhibit and shop.
She decided to move tho this place as rents in Stockholm are too expensive and unreliable for an artist like her. She has no set salary and no real help from the government.
The boat is located in a boatyard on an island in the Swedish Archipielago. One needs to take two buses and a ferry from Stockholm just to get here. However, during summer months many rich Swedish and tourists visit the local restaurants with their boats. This has allowed my mother to sell some of her art and survive this economic crisis.
She named it Gaia from the goddess of Earth, as this boat is a way of sustainable living, with very little resources needed to power it. My mother takes inspiration of nature in her paintings, so being out here on the island where forest and water surrounds her is very important to her creativity and mind.
Our home.
A blend of Art and cooking.
She got COVID-19 during late April, she told me it was the worst cold of her life. Thankfully, she got better after a week and a half.
A portrait of me.
A powerful woman.
In my mother's eyes, I find inspiration, it is the place where I find most strength to keep going. Under uncertain times we hold on to each other for strength and creativity.
A collection of trees She likes to paint trees. No wonder, she has a special inspiration from them, from the Swedish landscapes that are so full of forest life.
For this submission, I wanted to tell you the story of my mother Lina. Lina Burman is a Swedish local artist from Umeå. She is currently living in a boat in the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden.
Due to COVID 19, she was forced to close down her gallery store in central Stockholm. She then turned her home boat/art workshop into a gallery exhibit and shop.
She decided to move tho this place as rents in Stockholm are too expensive and unreliable for an artist like her. She has no set salary and no real help from the government.
The boat is located in a boatyard on an island in the Swedish Archipielago. One needs to take two buses and a ferry from Stockholm just to get here. However, during summer months many rich Swedish and tourists visit the local restaurants with their boats. This has allowed my mother to sell some of her art and survive this economic crisis.
She named it Gaia from the goddess of Earth, as this boat is a way of sustainable living, with very little resources needed to power it. My mother takes inspiration of nature in her paintings, so being out here on the island where forest and water surrounds her is very important to her creativity and mind.
Our home.
A blend of Art and cooking.
She got COVID-19 during late April, she told me it was the worst cold of her life. Thankfully, she got better after a week and a half.
A portrait of me.
A powerful woman.
In my mother's eyes, I find inspiration, it is the place where I find most strength to keep going. Under uncertain times we hold on to each other for strength and creativity.
A collection of trees She likes to paint trees. No wonder, she has a special inspiration from them, from the Swedish landscapes that are so full of forest life.