Vägen genom A (The Way Through A

Artist: Thomas Qvarsebo
Year created: 1998
Material: Corten steel

The sculpture Vägen genom A (The Way Through A) is a tribute to the author Alf Henrikson – the master of language from Huskvarna. The work depicts a large stylised ‘A’ in corten steel, like a door to pass through. The title is taken from a young adult novel Henrikson wrote in 1949, in which the main character – a reflection of Alf himself – literally walks through a letter ‘A’. Two well-known verses by Henriksson are engraved on the sculpture.

The first reads
”Dagen idag är en märkvärdig sak, tänk, evighet fram och evighet bak.” (Today is a remarkable thing, think, eternity ahead and eternity behind.)

The other:
”Retar du upp dig på ting som är små, då är du väl inte större än så.”

(If you get upset by little things, you are no bigger than they are.)

The verses capture a sense of reflection and humour – two hallmarks of Alf Henrikson’s style.

About Alf Henrikson

Alf Henrikson (1905–1995) was born in Huskvarna and made his debut as a poet in 1927 with the poetry collection Jazzrytm. He was a versatile writer who wrote daily verses, plays, historical works and translations of operas from several languages. His last book, Rim & reson, was published in the year of his death.

About the artist

Thomas Qvarsebo (b. 1947) is a Swedish sculptor trained at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. He works in materials such as corten steel, copper, bronze and steel, and is known for his stylised and often humorous works in public spaces.