Artscape
Alingsås

In Alingsås, three mural artworks were created as part of the project. The murals painted by Jade Rivera and Natalia Rak, along with the other municipalities’ folk tale-themed paintings, are collected in the book Artscape Saga, available for purchase at Alingsås Kulturhus (Culture House).

Besides Alingsås, the participating municipalities in Artscape Saga were Ale, Härryda, Kungsbacka, Kungälv, Lerum, Lilla Edet, Mölndal, Partille, Stenungsund, Tjörn, and Öckerö. The project was led by Artscape – a non-profit cultural organization and one of the world’s leading forces in contemporary urban art.

Princess Hapunda

Jade Rivera (b. 1983, Peru)
Location: Kulturskolan Alingsås, Rektorsgatan 9A

This mural is inspired by a Mexican folk tale about a young woman, Princess Hapunda, who lived on the crescent-shaped island of Yunuén in Lake Pátzcuaro. One day, she learned that a war party from a distant village was planning to kidnap her to make her the wife of their king.

Seeking comfort, Hapunda went to the lake and stepped into its dark waters. Soon after she disappeared beneath the surface, she reappeared – now in the form of a white heron destined to live peacefully by the lake forever. Eventually, more white herons arrived, and to this day they can still be seen around the lake. Legend has it that the day the herons disappear, Lake Pátzcuaro will dry up.

Jade Rivera (b. 1983, Peru) grew up in Lima. His interest in art sparked early, and at the age of 17, he began studying at an art school, which he later left to pursue a career as a self-taught artist. Rivera works with both miniatures and large-scale murals, but it is for his monumental wall paintings around the world that he has become most well-known.

The Magic Fern

Natalia Rak (b. 1986, Poland)
Location: Kungsgatan 9, gable wall by the courtyard parking

The mural The Magic Fern is inspired by a fairy tale written by J. I. Kraszewski (1812–1887). In the story, a boy ventures into the forest during the summer solstice to find a legendary magical flower – a fern that blooms only once a year. After many years of trying, he finally finds the flower, which can grant all his wishes, on the condition that he never shares his happiness with another living soul. The boy is too excited to heed the warning, which leads to his greatest dream becoming his greatest curse. After years of regret, he makes one final wish and is swallowed by the earth.

Natalia Rak (b. 1986, Poland) is known for her vibrant, large-scale murals. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, Poland. Rak draws inspiration from vintage imagery, her own daydreams, book illustrations, Marvel Comics, and artists like Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), Jacek Malczewski, Norman Rockwell, and Hans Rudolf Giger.

Cosmic Love

Dan Sapunar (b. 1989, Croatia)
Location: wall of Alströmergymnasiet/Alströmerteatern

Much of Sapunar’s work reflects a deep love for the mysterious and infinite universe around us. The mural at Alströmergymnasiet is no exception and has been aptly named Cosmic Love. The style is inspired by Sapunar’s great idol – legendary illustrator Jack Kirby, who drew Marvel’s first comic books. On the right side of the artwork, we see a colorful cosmic goddess who possesses all the knowledge of the universe – a symbol of the idea that everyone has the power and capacity to seek and absorb knowledge.

Dan Sapunar grew up in Malmö and is now based in Barcelona. He works under the name Space. Sapunar’s style has its roots in graffiti and brings abstract patterns in vivid colors to life in a harmonious way. With exhibitions across Sweden and Europe, his artistic expression spans mural painting, photography, animation, and professional tattooing.

This mural is part of the Artscape Saga project, in which 12 municipalities in the Gothenburg region participated during the summer of 2019. However, this piece does not depict a folk tale. Instead, the theme of the artwork coincides with both the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and the 50th anniversary of Alströmergymnasiet.