Albin Amelin grew up in Chicago, but because of his Swedish roots, he traveled as a young man to Sweden to study at the University College of Arts, Crafts & Design, which was known as Tekniska Skolan at that time. His art, however, can be classified as self-taught. Amelin’s style is expressionistic and he was influenced by Munch, Van Gogh and Kokoschka. In contrast to these artists, however, Amelin’s own style is brutal and violent, both in choice of subject matter and painting. His painting is characterized by thick layers of paint and rough contours. The painting “Drunken Bride” and “Fight at the Tavern” caused quite a sensation during his debut exhibition at the Swedish-French gallery. Amelin’s communist views colored his work, as was manifested in his choice of subject matter, which often focused on workers at work. Other paintings are quite different, as he also portrayed nature and floral motifs, which are frequently recurring themes. Amelin is also known for having founded the gallery Färg & Form (Color and Design) together with other artists including Vera Nilsson, Bror Hjorth, Sven X-et Erixson and Gideon Börje.
