Jerry Roupe (1919-2005)

Jerry Roupe was an incredibly talented artist with a huge portfolio. She was born in Stockholm in 1919, one year after the end of the First World War. She loved the city all her life. The years after the war in Sweden brought hard times for the city folk with rationing, lack of food, and unemployment. One had to be somewhat of an inventor to survive the every day life. Jerry learned early on to view life’s obstaclesas problems to be solved instead of impossible challenges. When Jerry was an adolescent she already knew that she wanted to “create pictures.” She was also very athletic, and some of her favorite sports that she excelled in were gymnastics, swimming, paddling, throwing the javelin and especially cross country skiing. But creating art was her main passion.

In the late 1950’s and beginning of the 1960’s a new idea started to develop. Printed textiles in many different colors and varieties. Flowers and leaves and fun creatures/figures printed onto tablecloths, curtains, wall hangings and runners were all filled with humor and warmth. In1960 Jerry created the wall hanging “Tomteparaden” (Santa Parade), which turned out to be a huge success.


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