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A triptych of three abstract paintings with a fluid, watercolour style. The panels feature a mix of orange, blue and green shapes suggesting landscapes and architectural forms.

Art: Embrace the heatwave and come lose yourself in Fredrik Åkum's hazy summer portfolio

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Date
18 July 2013

Right now we’d be lying to you if we said we were feeling the summer vibes in the studio. We’re really not (plus we hate the word “vibes”). We love the sunshine strolls and the afternoon ice creams but we’re not too enamoured with the torrentially sweaty backs and musky body odours that have become more prevalent here of late. Sorry if that’s a buzz kill but that’s just how we’re feeling – we’d really rather just be outdoors. One guy who’s taking our mind off that at the moment however is artist Fredrik Åkum, a Swedish painter and photographer whose work is overflowing with a sunny disposition.

Fredrik’s work is littered with the paraphernalia of childhood holiday adventures, all tropical plants, wistful silhouettes and hazy palettes. It’s like a scene from Swallows and Amazons had the book been set off the coast of San Francisco. So while we’re peeved to be trapped indoors mid-July we’re thankful that it’s enabled us to discover Fredrik and his magnificent portfolio.

An abstract painting featuring a central vertical band of pale yellow. A rectangular orange shape sits across the middle, with a white, table-like structure extending from its base.
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Fredrik Åkum: Not My Hoop

Six abstract prints are arranged in a grid of two columns and three rows. The works feature organic shapes and textures in shades of yellow, green, blue and purple.
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Fredrik Åkum: Ode To The Loss

An abstract painting of two spiky, crystalline forms in shades of blue and teal. The sharp, radiating lines overlap against a soft, pale pink background.
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Fredrik Åkum: Plants

An illustration of a tattered flag flying from a thin pole against a dark blue background. The flag is filled with abstract, organic shapes in shades of yellow, green and pink.
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Fredrik Åkum: Flags

A painting of a person seen from behind, wearing a white T-shirt. They hold a long, green palm frond against their side.
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Fredrik Åkum: Anna-Lotta And Found Leaf

A painting of a spiky plant with long, pointed leaves reaching upwards. The foliage is rendered in shades of blue, green and pale pink against a soft yellow background.
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Fredrik Åkum: Stolen Plant

A watercolour painting of a dense cluster of trees in shades of green, blue and purple. Below, a dark, jagged waveform shape floats on the surface of pale blue water.
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Fredrik Åkum: Our Island

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About the Author

James Cartwright

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James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

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