Academic year 2025/2026
I am Daniel, heading the Art courses at our School. The picture you see is a close-up I attempted, but ironically, the background captured the focus instead.
During a masterclass I attended at the School of Songs, Brian Eno answered a question about artistic growth by saying something profound: “Find your people, find your community.” In his view, no one truly succeeds alone—even behind the greatest or most professional artists stands an art community.
Focusing on your own artistry is challenging when working in isolation. We all need trusted individuals who can mirror ourselves back to us, helping us discover our unique path. Perhaps this could be the place where you find your people and your community.
In our semi-enchanted world, stories and spirituality are reclaiming their position at the forefront of how we make sense of our existence. We therefore invite you to join us and together try, at least for a little while, to create an art community interested in stories from the Christian landscape and similar narratives—all with the aim of developing your unique artistic voice. Then, we can see what happens, both to your art and our present community.
For full-time students, we offer an individual workplace at our school, with access whenever possible. There is also a school Chapel and services for those interested, a kitchen for preparing meals, and a library eager to supply you with the books you need.
People
Daniel Öhrvall
He studied modern art at Liljeholmens Folkhögskola and Hovedskous Målarskola (today Göteborgs Konstskola) and has since been engaged in music. Professionally, he chose theology and is today a Religious Educator and PhD student financed by the Sankt Ignatios Foundation.
Fr. Serafim Smensgård
He has long experience in photography and painting, but he chose to be a priest and a teacher professionally. Today, he is the Deputy Dean of Sankt Ignatios.
Miriem Smensgård
She is an educated singer in classical music. She holds a BA and MA in Greek and Byzantine studies and a BA in Theology (New Testament Exegesis) from the University of Uppsala.
Richard Kovar
He has an exam from the Academy of Music and Drama in Göteborg and studied Byzantine Church music.
Veljco Birac
He is a PhD student financed by the Sankt Ignatios Foundation.
Fr. Milutin Janjic
He has a PhD in mission studies.
In our network, we have researchers in theology and a range of subjects as well as artists and musicians who may be visiting us depending on the project you want to pursue.
Find your People!
This photo is a portrait of a group of American abstract artists, collectively known as ‘The Irascibles,’ Maybe we could create an artist group for at least a little while at Sankt Ignatios by artists interested in art and spirituality.
Art & the Artist
This course builds on an art project you design and work on during a full academic year (40 weeks). It could be a project in various media, such as music, art, writing, or other forms of expression. During the process, course members and teachers will form an art community, where your artistry and projects will be highlighted and discussed in the context of spirituality, primarily from the Eastern Orthodox tradition and theology, but also from other religious traditions. The aim is to strengthen the artistic voice of every course member.
We will work with stories where you have the creative freedom to interpret. We will discuss what art does and what spirituality does. We will delve deep into the creative process, how to manage projects, and how to prepare for a final public event for your project, as well as assist you with your future steps (if possible).
This course could be perfect if you want time to finalize an application to a higher art or artist education program, or if you want to complete a project that has been on your mind for a while.
Read the full course plan here.
Art Project
You can also take this course by only joining the Art project and getting weekly support from the artist community. This course is at 25% study rate and makes it possible to combine with other responsibilities. This version is not eligible for CSN funding.
Read the full course plan here:
Special requirements
To take this course, the course member must have proven skills in an artistic medium and have all the necessary equipment to produce the artwork.
Application
To apply to this course, you must follow the instructions on the website as with the other courses. In addition to this, you also must submit:
- A Project Description containing:
- Name and contact information
- Project name
- Background
- An art project idea you want to pursue and how this project or your artistry connects to spirituality
- An idea for a final artwork
- A letter of motivation
- Documentation of your previous work is to be sent in by email.
- Documented experience of an education in art.
Submit the above documents to:
Daniel Öhrvall
daniel.ohrvall@sanktignatios.org
Questions
Daniel Öhrvall
daniel.ohrvall@sanktignatios.org
+460760436389
Admission
Admission to the course will be based on four criteria:
- The general requirements of the course
- Assessment of the art project based on whether or not this specific course is the right format and context for the suggested project.
- Assess the artistic background of the applicant to ensure the artistic autonomy required to finalize the course.
- Assess the art project idea itself.
