The Boudoir Dream

A Diary in Twelve Parts

On view July 25–August 30, 2026

In the private apartments of the Hallwyl House Museum, a series of twelve paintings by artist Olle Ekström is on display. In the paintings’ shimmering boudoir settings, we encounter a staged version of the artist himself. Seated beside a pink teacup, over a book about Nils Dardel, the artist falls asleep.

I think of the series as a visual diary from a parallel, dreamlike reality. In my country house in Skåne, I build stage sets in which I then enter as an actor. They become a kind of performance or tableau that is documented and ultimately results in paintings.

– Olle Ekström

The word boudoir derives from the French bouder – “to sulk” or “to be in a bad mood” – and traditionally refers to a private room where the lady of the house could retreat when feeling out of sorts. The boudoir may therefore be seen as a kind of sanctuary, a place where one can let down one’s guard and simply be oneself. At the same time, it has also come to function as a setting for intimate meetings and confidential conversations.

About my artistry

In the paintings I explore themes such as androgyny, male sensitivity, romanticism and gay history. It feels great to show the paintings at the Hallwyl museum, given the connection to Nils Dardel and Rolf de Maré (Wilhelmina von Hallwyl's grandson).

The cat and the red mirror. Image: Olle Ekström. The image is cropped. Photo: Anders Forsberg.

About the artist

Olle Ekström (born 1986) lives and works in the countryside of Skåne, Sweden. Between 2005 and 2007, he trained as a scenic painter for theatre and apprenticed at the set-painting workshops of the Royal Dramatic Theatre and the Royal Swedish Opera. From 2008 to 2010, he studied Art Education at Konstfack, and from 2013 to 2016 he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Since 2012, he also works part-time as a museum educator at Kulturen in Lund.

Top image: The pink teacup. Image: Olle Ekström. The image is cropped.
Image 2: The rose garlands. Image: Olle Ekström. The image is cropped.
Photo: Anders Forsberg.

Visit the exhibition

The Boudoir Dream – A Diary in Twelve Parts is on view at the Hallwyl museum in Stockholm July 25–August 30, 2026.

Plan your visit