Karl Mårtens was born in San Francisco in 1956, and grew up in Drottningholm in the outskirts of Stockholm in Sweden. Since childhood Mårtens has moved between North America and Europe: from Sweden to Canada, back to San Francisco and, most recently, returning to Stockholm where he now resides.

Mårtens’ process is a challenge to the need for artistic control, promoting intuition and experiment, and his exquisitely rendered studies capture something of the vital essence and character of their subjects. He takes influence from both Eastern and Western philosophies, especially his study of Zen Buddhist meditation and Japanese archery. Using Japanese and Chinese paintbrushes, watercolour, charcoal and handmade paper, Mårtens applies the watercolour onto handmade paper positioned on the floor of his studio from above. Inspired by the unpredictable reactions between his materials, this technique results in a fluid and free style that encapsulates the movement of the birds.

Gladwell & Patterson’s long association with Mårtens began when the gallery first set eyes upon his mesmerizing watercolors of birds of prey. Mårtens’ first solo exhibition in London was held in 2009 at our former Mayfair gallery W. H. Patterson and his work continues to delight and inspire our international clientele.