Smide/Forging

In 2022 I was invited by a neighbor to try out iron forging in his home gas forge. I seemed to have a knack for it, and we continued forging a couple times a month, also using the coal forge of a local blacksmith. After a week-long course at Gränsfors Yxsmedja I applied to Volund Metal Arts school in Dingle, Munkedal Kommun. I spent one year there full-time, and a second year half-time. My last term was spent working for Mästersmed and course instructor Berth Johanson as his assistant in preparation for an upcoming show at Galleri Hervold in Hamar, Norge, while also completing my final exam project, "Kontemplation" (shown below).

I received my diploma from Smedja Volund in June 2024, and in September started my own business. When I forge new pieces I work out of Adlers Smedja in Förslöv.

Please scroll down to see a portfolio of my larger and more public works. Some are sold, some are available, and all are examples of my aesthetic and adaptable design and inspiration for future commissions. My work can be followed in real time as I develop, experiment, and learn on Instagram @ninawaldmankonst.

Garden Swing: Kontemplation (2024) (SOLD)

The theme of Kontemplation is based on the Martagon Lily (Sw: Krollilja, lilium martagon). The flower is depicted clearly in the side panels (see photo 2). The form of the lily flowers and leaves is carried throughout the piece with more or less abstraction. A side table hangs down on each side, and two rods can be placed horisontally through the top loops to support an awning for sun/rain cover. The entire piece can be dismantled to facilitate transport (the side panels are 260x175cm). This piece was built as my final "exam" project at Smedja Volund. It was completed in June 2024, and sold in November 2024.

Garden Gate: Trasslet (2023) 

In January 2023, while I was studying at Smedja Volund in Dingle, we students spent a week doing kroki sketches of a live female model. We were then tasked with developing three designs for a gate based on our drawings. The only paramater was that gate should be max 1 meter wide. The design that led to this gate is not quite in my usual style, but of the three designs I developed I felt I would learn the most from this one. The abstract female figures are entwined in realistic honeysuckle vines. The top of the gatepost shos the flowers in all stages from budding, blooming, wilting, and fruiting. The gatepost is composed of three rods connected by three-way rivets that also hold the hinges. The gate swings about 180 degrees. The entire structure is galvanised.

Candleholder: Pumpan (2022) 

Bucket Holder: Knuten (2022)

Shoe Rack: Radia (2022)

Bottle Openers: Squid (2024) (SOLD)

These bottle openers were displayed in Tavira D'Artes, a gallery in Tavira, Portugal. Tavira is known for octopus, but these bottle openers in the form of a close relative, the squid, were popular among the gallery's visitors.