The Fish in the Sky

In the ceramics city of Jingdezhen in China, where the majority of the items in the museum's collection of Asian ceramics are made, Torsten Jurell creates sculptures that are inspired by Chinese mythology. In his artwork he connects the present with tradition and the Chinese with the Swedish. For a year, he has worked in Jingdezhen on a series of motifs featuring the mythological creature "Qilin", the three-legged sun crow, and the children of the goddess Nüwa.

I saw fireballs explode in the sky and three-legged crows fell down

The Hallwyl China Collection fascinates Jurell

It was in the Hallwyl Museum's collection of 18th-century Chinese porcelain that Torsten Jurell had an "aha moment" in his encounter with the mythological creature "Qilin". The creature, which Torsten was fascinated by, has a head like a camel, a body like a deer, scales like a carp, and feet like a cow. The porcelain and the Chinese ceramics can be seen in the exhibition displayed in the China Room at the Hallwyl Museum from April 19, 2024.

Exhibition tour with Torsten Jurell (in Swedish)

Listen to the artist himself tell about his works on site in the museum. Price 170 SEK.

Buy tickets on Tickster