The Sergel Prize

The Sergel prize is instituted by the King. The Academy of the Liberal Arts commemorates the artist Johan Tobias Sergel. A total of 17 Swedish sculptors have received the award since 1945, which includes a gold plaque with Sergel's image.

The sculptors who have received the Sergel prize all mark Swedish art history in terms of expression, material, form and content.

The fund that forms the basis of the award was originally intended to be used for a monument to the artist, professor, member and director of the Art Academy, also the nobleman, Johan Tobias Sergel.

Today he is known and appreciated not least for his lively and often both humorous and erotic drawings and drawings. After consideration, the Academy of Arts decided to honor Sergel's memory by instituting a prize for Swedish sculptors to be awarded every five years at a particularly solemn ceremony. The first award was given to Carl Eldh in 1945.

2025 Sergel Award

The Sergel Committee has decided to award the 2025 Sergel Prize to Eva Löfdahl with the following justification:

Eva Löfdahl is one of Sweden's most important sculptors through her strong work and her ability to challenge conventional boundaries within sculpture and installation.

The works are characterized by a conceptual and formal sharpness where material, space and form interact in a unique way. A way that forces the viewer to question both the function and meaning of the objects and spaces.

Löfdahl's art is often characterized by a subtle humor and a minimalist aesthetic that both confuses and fascinates. The works create a densification. Although the materials are often perceived as light and temporary, the special presence that sculpture can achieve is established, at once intimate and monumental.

Eva Löfdahl's ability to challenge and make the field of sculpture relevant to generations of artists is unparalleled. Through her experimental and often complex works, she continues to inspire and drive both Swedish contemporary art and the field of sculpture forward.