Elin is a Swedish-British artist who works with sculpture, painting, and text. Through her practice, she reflects on the beauty and pain of life, drawing out memories that are often fragile, unspoken, and hard to hold onto. In her art, Elin taps into a kind of belated protest. She sees her works as acts of choice, responses shaped by the experience of not always having control over her own body.
Her process is guided by necessity, felt through the sensitivity of her hands, moving intuitively until something feels balanced. As she works, she gives shape to how she sees the world.
She remembers how wonderful things were. And how harrowing.
How messy, delicate, and painful they were.
How curious and elated she felt then how scared and alone she felt.
How deeply she wants life, all of it, to make sense.
In 2024 Elin completed a practise-based PhD in fine art at the University of Arts London. In 2022, after a residency there Elin became a an Arts Associate of the British School at Athens, she has also been in residence at the British School at Rome, 2019. Elin has published her writing in the Handbook of Research on the Relationship Between Autobiographical Memory and Photography (2023) and  the Journal of Ethics in Theatre & Performance (2022). She has recently exhibited her works at Konsthall C in Stockholm, Norrtälje Konsthall in Sweden, Demoni Danzanti in Sabina Italy and Gallery Dodo in Brighton. 
In 2016 Elin set up Jakob Kroon Gallery, a nomadic gallery operating from locations in Italy, Sweden, UK and online. She is a longtime supporter of Photo Fringe as served on the board between 2019-2023. She has lectured at the University of Brighton, University of Arts London and at the Art Academy, London.
Follow Elin's work on Instagram @elinkarlsson__
EXHIBITIONS 
2025 Inner Light, Konsthall C, Stockholm, Sweden
2024 Salong24, Norrtälje konsthall, Norrtälje, Sweden
2023 Unfolding Narratives 3, PhD work in Progress, LCC, London, UK       
2022 A Cloth Over a Birdcage, Gallery Dodo, Brighton, UK          
2022 Salon in Sabina, Sabina, Italy            
2022 Unfolding Narratives 2, PhD work in Progress, LCC, London, UK      
2021 20 Years of Artists at the BSA, 12 Star Gallery, London, UK 
2020 Collemacchia Beacon, The Museum of Loss and Renewal, Italy        
2020 Unfolding Narratives, PhD work in Progress, LCC, London, UK      
2019 Picturing the Invisible, Triangle Space, Chelsea College of Art, London, UK 
2019 Portico, British School at Rome, Rome, Italy          
2018 Made For Life, Regency Town House, Hove, UK         
2017 The Best Mess, HUTT Collective, Nottingham, UK   
2016 Unwriting, Colonnade House, Worthing, UK          
2016 Life is On, Jakob Kroon Galleri, Stockholm, Sweden - Duo show with J. Fitzpatrick 
2015 Whatever You Say I am, That’s What I am, Unit 8, Brighton, UK  
2014 72Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (curated by Photobookshow)             
2014 Familiar Constructs, Gallery 40, Brighton, UK - Solo show (curated by Sunil Shah) 
2014 Unit 8, Platform Gallery, Brighton, UK          
2013 /World, Grand Parade, Brighton, UK          
2013 Festival Diep, Dieppe, France (curated by Alice Schÿler Mallet)        
2012 Fine Art Media, The Rag Factory, London, UK         
2012 In Search of Place, George Rodger Galley, Maidstone, UK    
2012 Along the Lines of..., Lucy Bell Gallery, St Leonards on Sea, UK 
RESIDENCIES 
2021 British School at Athens, Athens, Greece           
2020 Taking Time - Museum of Loss and Renewal, Collemachia, Italy         
2019 British School at Rome, MEAD Residency, Rome, Italy           
2018 Writing Retreat, St- Malo, France          
2014 Forest Residency, Stour Valley Arts, Kings Wood, UK
PRESENTATIONS AND TALKS 
2024 'Trauma-informed Pedagogies in Art', Why Remember? 2024, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
2022 ‘A Cloth Over a Birdcage’, Photo Fringe, Brighton, UK 
2022 ‘Concluding Lecture’, British School at Athens, Online          
2021 ‘The Art of the Bodge, British School at Athens, Online        
2019 ‘The Jam in Bellfield’ (reading), Chelsea College of Art, London, UK       
2015 Miniclick Panel Discussion, Brighton, UK          
2014 ‘Familiar Constructs’ (round table discussion), Gallery 40, Brighton, UK      
2014 ‘Familiar Contructs’, Phoenix Centre, Brighton, UK (organiser)        
2013 Miniclick, Pecha Kucha, Brighton, UK 
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS  (with links)
PUBLISHED WRITING AND INTERVIEWS 
Karlsson, E. (2025) A Mother(hood)fucking Arsenal of Poetry, Demeter Press [coming]
Karlsson, E. (2024) Konsten att läka. Utställningskritik. (For English translation: www. elin-karlsson.co.uk/the-art-of-healing)
Karlsson, E. and Palma, A. (2022) A Cloth over a Birdcage. Bookend. 
Karlsson, E. (2021) Recipes Under Confinement. Ma Bibliotheque. 
Murphy, C. (2021) Unfolding Narratives 2: Elin Karlsson 
Karlsson, E. (2018) The Jam in Bellfield - Self-published, edition of 20 
Karlsson, E. (2014) Elina Brotherus: Even if it is me, it can also be you, Introdex Magazine 
EDUCATION
2016-2024 PhD (practise-based), University of the Arts London, UK
The Art of the Bodge: Understanding bodging as a methodology when
working with themes of sexual violence in the medium of sculpture and writing. 
2012-2013 MA Photography, University of Brighton, UK
2009-2012 BA Photography and Media Arts, University of the Creative Arts, Maidstone, UK