“Iron” in Old Norse (Younger Futhark)

2025

Copper Plate & Etching Prints with Oil Ink

Copper Plate: 40x50cm | (6) Prints: 50x60cm & (4) Prints: 34x44cm

The ᛁᛅᚱᚾ ("Iron") artwork was created for the Sandviken Art Gallery – Kulturcentrum, located in Sandviken, in the Gävleborg county, in Sweden. It draws inspiration from the Viking cultural and archaeological heritage of Årsunda and Sandviken and its history with metal craftsmanship. It was created under the guidance of Richard Schill, board member of the Årsunda Viking village, published researcher on Viking history in the Sandviken region, and Länsmuseet Gävleborg Museum educator/curator on cultural environment education.

The images are inspired by authentic Viking Age runestones in Sweden. Etched on a copper plate, the composition depicts three blacksmiths working around the fire, symbolizing the ancestral craft of forging. The figure of Regin, the “blacksmith king” from the Völsunga Saga, is positioned above as a guardian of metallurgical knowledge. At the top corner, the rune meaning “iron”, in Old Norse, appears as a sacred inscription. There are also two intertwined dragons, one of them being Fafner, Regin's dragon brother, as symbols of power and strength.

The use of copper as a medium highlights the deep connection between Scandinavian mythology and the tradition of metalsmithing, while also reflecting Renan's contemporary sculptural practice, which merges traditional metalworking techniques with a multicultural approach.