A collection of silver art by Lars Arby

Bukowskis is proud to present a unique collection of silver objects by the acclaimed silversmith Lars Arby in this themed auction. His exceptional and experimental silverwork, recently highlighted in an exhibition at Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, continues to fascinate and inspire. In the exhibition Silver (25 April – 22 September 2024), his personal and distinctive corpus works and jewellery featured as a central part of the highly praised show.

Lars Arby, who passed away in 2002, was a visionary within Swedish silver art. In 1964, he became a member of the pioneering artist group Nutida Svenskt Silver and played a key role in many of their successful exhibitions. Born in 1933 in Johanneberg, Arby trained at Konstfack in Stockholm (graduating in 1956) and continued his studies at the School of Design and Crafts in Gothenburg. His original design, influenced by the avant-garde movements of the 1960s and ’70s, stood in bold contrast to the strict aesthetic of earlier functionalism. His work is characterised by a free and playful approach to the traditionally weighty material.

Arby employed a variety of techniques – forging, welding, enamelling, drilling, and chasing – to achieve his artistic vision. His work was both playful and experimental, earning him a unique place in Swedish silver art. Although a stroke in the 1980s forced him to stop working, his creations remained carefully stored in a bank vault for over four decades.

Today, Lars Arby is represented in leading institutions such as the Röhsska Museum and the Nationalmuseum, and his work continues to inspire new generations of silversmiths.