Kurt Ullberger 1919-2008

Kurt Sigurd Ullberger was born in Visby on 18th January 1919 in Visby. He was a Swedish painter, draftsman and printmaker.

Ullberger attended the Technical School (Tekniska Skolan) in Stockholm in 1940 before studying at the private painting school (Edvin Ollers målarskolan) run by the Swedish artist, ceramist and designer Edwin Ollers (1888-1959) for a year in 1942. Ollers was also a lecturer at the Konstfack (University College of Arts, Crafts and Design) in Stockholm between 1925 and 1948.

Ullberger’s first solo exhibition was at Sture Gallery (Sturegalleriet) in Stockholm (1946). He then exhibited at Galerie Moderne (1949), at the Gothenburg Avenue Gallery (1951 and 1954) and Gummesons Gallery (Galleri Gummesons) in 1956. Gummesons Gallery is one Scandinavia’s foremost contemporary art galleries - Launched in 1912 by Carl Gummeson, a local book dealer, it quickly forged a reputation for supporting Modern Art - And Lorensbergs Art Salon (1960)

Group exhibitions include an exhibition in Visby (1948) with the sculptor Ture Johansson (1912-1997) and again (1958) with David Ahlqvist (1900-1988), in Karlstad (1947 and 1962), Linköping (1953) and Norrköping (1954) with the sculptor Anders Jansson (1883-1965). Växjö (1956), Borås with Torsten Fridh (1914-2014) in 1959, ‘De Ungas Salong’ (Youth Salon) in 1962, Lorensbergs Art Salon (with Nanny Nygren-Biró) in 1964 and at the Stockholm Salons (Stockholmssalongerna) at Liljevalchs Konsthall (in 1962, 1963 and 1965).

Ullberger was vice chairman of KRO (Konstnärernas Riksorganisation) Artists National Organisation (1958-64) and chairman of the Artists? Club (Konstnärsklubben) in Stockholm from 1960 until 1966. Between 1970 and 1979 he served as a county politician in Stockholm were he promoted (and commissioned) art in public spaces. He was also a member of the Grafiska Sällskapet (Graphic Society) in Stockholm.

Examples of Ullberger's work are held in the National Museum and Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm, the Norrköping Museum and the Karlstad Museum.

Kurt Ullberger died in Stockholm on 18th April 2008. He was 89 years old.