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This story begins in Ockelbo, Sweden, in 2009, where Artist Tony Warren ran a summer café and studio. He created a symbolic still life as a personal tribute to Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel, but what followed was entirely unexpected. Visitors began asking if they could be part of the project, and a spontaneous grassroots initiative slowly took shape. Over time, around 600 people became involved in supporting the creation of the painting as a gift for the Crown Princess Couple.

Artist Tony Warren will discuss the journey from the initial idea and the creation of the painting to its presentation at the Royal Palace, while also exploring an unforeseen element: the symbolism that emerged in the piece despite never being consciously planned during the composition. After the café season ended in 2009, Warren began to investigate the meaning of the objects, colors, and composition through both classical Western symbolism and Sámi symbolism. The Sámi interpretation contained elements relating to a life cycle and could not be assessed immediately; around fifteen years had to pass before it became clear how this symbolism related to actual events. During the presentation, Warren will share this remarkable process and reveal what the symbolism showed.

The story of Tillgivenhet did not end with its presentation at the Royal Palace. Professor Jan von Bonsdorff of the Department of Art History at Uppsala University specifically commented on the Nordic Museum’s acquisition of studies and other material connected with the work. Placing this within a long art historical tradition where museums preserve the artistic process alongside finished works, he wrote that Warren could feel proud to be included in a tradition “where the working process is celebrated on equal terms with the finished works.” The Nordic Museum has since also acquired one of the remaining graphic prints from the main series, and material connected with Tillgivenhet is now represented on Europeana, Europe’s digital cultural heritage platform.

For Warren, it feels especially meaningful to tell this story in Chicago, the city where his artistic career began. He studied for four years at the School of Representational Art under Bruno Surdo and lived at the time in Geneva, outside Chicago. After completing his studies, Warren moved back to Sweden, where his career eventually led into official and royal contexts. Returning to Chicago to share the story of Tillgivenhet brings the journey full circle.