Interviews
Åsa Båve - artist working with soap
aug
We interview the artist Åsa Båve who works with soap as a material. On August 24, we will have a vernissage in our Stockholm store at Skånegatan 83 together with Åsa Båve who exhibits her art 'The temporary'. An art exhibition where she has based on our own material. From the soap kits made by Charlotte in the soap factory and the residual materials that remain after the production. The art exhibition will be in the store until September 1.
Incredibly exciting and fun that you chose to involve soap in your art. How did it start, and how did you find soap as a material?
Yes, I think so too! I started making soap 4 years ago, just after I had finished my bachelor in photography from HDK-Valand. I had sniffed at the soap as a symbol already before but now had a strong desire to work physically with my hands, as a contrast to the study time that contained a lot of theory and work behind the camera / computer.
What do you find most fascinating about soap?
I love the different stages of soap, that they start with oil, lye and water, so simple! And that the soap then takes a solid form, can be stored, is stable, and then, in combination with water, that it dissolves and disappears. The soap has an ephemeral quality that I am drawn to. It has the potential as a sculpture to change over time, and time is something I am constantly working with and is also deeply rooted in photography and film. The soap is also loaded with so much symbolism. Both around care, cleanliness, self-care - but also with a heritage from our colonial history. This makes it possible to project a lot in the soap as a sculptural material.
What has been most difficult in your work with soap?
The hardest thing has probably been to get into a material that is unknown to me, to go from working with the camera as a tool for 10 years, and then start making sculptures in soap. The hardest, and most fun, has been to dare to try!
Do you have a favorite soap, both to use on your body and to work in?
I mainly work with soap based on organic coconut oil, partly because it becomes very hard and lathery, and partly because it is easy to make. But I look forward to experimenting more! It has been very fun to try working in your soaps at Tvåla & Tvaga and to share Anna's knowledge. It has given me a deeper understanding of the properties of different oils and how to push the material.
I prefer to use the soap I make myself! It will be a little different every time where I vary the scent and content. Most often I make one that contains a little nettle and with a scent of pine needles!
What reactions have you had so far with your soap art?
Many people are surprised and wonder how I got into it. But if you look at my art, which has long revolved around care work, I don't think it's such a big step. I think the strongest reaction I got was when I did a performance where I washed visitors' hands. Some participants sat silently, others wanted to talk. Many said they hadn't had their hands washed since they were little. Some thought of their grandmother.
@asabave
Opening August 24: https://fb.me/e/Tnd4o6wk
