Firestorm Talk: Klara Kristalova
Born in Prague in 1967 and based in Sweden, Klara Kristalova is known for her evocative ceramic sculptures rooted in Nordic storytelling and myth. Her hybrid figures inhabit fantastical worlds that explore themes of transformation, memory, and emotional intensity.
Kristalova has exhibited widely across Europe and the United States, with works held in prominent collections including Centre Pompidou (Paris), Moderna Museet (Stockholm), Broad Art Museum (Michigan), and EMMA (Espoo). One of her early works, Efter ett långvarigt snöfall, 1994, is part of the Bonnier Staircases project and installed on the third floor of Sveavägen 65.
Join the Firestorm Foundation and Art Initiative in an inspiring conversation with Klara Kristalova as she reflects on her artistic journey and looks ahead to representing Sweden at the 2026 Venice Biennale* - one of the most prestigious platforms for contemporary art. Framed by the theme Women, Value, and Visibility, the talk will explore how the position of women in the art world is shifting, and what that means for recognition, representation, and creative agency today.
This is the third and final Firestorm Talk of the spring – a series of talks where we explore the visibility and value of women artists in today’s art world.
The talk will be moderated by Michael Storåkers, Partner at the Firestorm Foundation and PhD student at the Stockholm School of Economics.
SSE Art Initiative and Firestorm Foundation
Firestorm Foundation is a non-profit initiative founded in 2021, dedicated to highlighting female and non-binary artists for a more inclusive art world. Beginning in 2025, the foundation will support initiatives at SSE to advance knowledge and promote equality for female and non-binary artists through seminars, a master’s thesis scholarship, and donations to the SSE Permanent Collection.
*The Venice Biennale, or Biennale Arte, is one of the world's largest art exhibitions hosted every two years in Venice, Italy. It has become one of the most important art events in the global north and primarily consists of one big exhibition and many smaller ones across Venice. The exhibition space spans over 7,000 square meters, and artists from over 75 countries are represented in the exhibition spaces and in the national ‘pavilions’ (official Biennale exhibitions arranged by different countries, including their own artists and curators). In 2026 Kristalova will represent Sweden in the Nordic Pavillion.