Halmstadgruppen

Collection Håkan Larsson Tranemo

This extensive and art-historically significant painting collection will be auctioned in the autumn of 2025 at Bukowskis Live Auctions and in two themed online auctions. The first auction begins here with nine artworks by members of the Halmstad Group. All members of the group are represented, with an emphasis on works from 1935 onward—featuring imaginative, dreamlike landscapes and formations. The auction also includes one of Erik Olsson’s early works from the 1920s.

Håkan’s great interest in art began in Motala at the end of the 1960s, when he participated in an art study circle at Motala Verkstad in 1968–69. The course leader was Dennis Pullman, and the course literature consisted of Svenskt måleri under 1900-talet (“Swedish Painting in the 20th Century”) by Gösta Lilja. This book became the guide that Håkan used as a foundation for his collecting. The book’s selection is reflected in Håkan’s collection, which focused on Swedish art from roughly the 1920s to the 1960s—what today might be called “Swedish modern classics.” Over time, Håkan’s collection grew very large, eventually comprising more than 100 paintings at its peak.

Håkan Larsson was a prominent figure in Tranemo Municipality, active both in business and in the cultural sphere. As CEO and chairman of the board of the successful company Tranemo Textil, he was, of course, an important person both as an employer and as a business leader. He was also deeply involved in the local cultural life, arranging, among other things, an exhibition venue for the Tranemo Artists’ Group.