Galleri Smedjan launches International Artist in Residence Programme. Julia Obermaier announced as First Resident Artist

The programme's first resident artist is German jewellery artist Julia Obermaier, who will live and work in the Jämtland region for five weeks.

The residency programme is part of Galleri Smedjan's long-term commitment to building a sustainable infrastructure for contemporary craft in northern Sweden. Through international artistic exchange, the gallery aims to foster new collaborations, encourage knowledge-sharing, and create meaningful encounters between international artists, local practitioners, and the public.

Julia Obermaier (b. 1989), is a jewellery artist based in Kempten, Germany. During her residency in Jämtland, she will focus on artistic research while engaging with the local arts community. Stone lies at the heart of Julia Obermaier's artistic practice. With playful forms and exceptional craftsmanship, she renders everyday objects and fleeting moments – such as an erased thought or a hastily written note – in stone, transforming the ephemeral into something enduring. During her residency, her solo exhibition What We Keep will be on view at Galleri Smedjan from August 6^th until September 5^th 2026.

Galleri Smedjan AIR 2026 is organized and run by jeweller artist and Galleri Smedjan founder Sanna Svedestedt in collaboration with Gomorron Östersund, Region Jämtland Härjedalen, the Swedish Arts Council, and IASPIS – the Swedish Arts Grants Committee's International Programme for Visual and Applied Arts.