Maja Daniels is a Swedish artist
Episode 420: My friend and colleague Maja Daniels returns with her second glorious book, Gertrud, published by Void.
Gertrude is a mythological plunge into the history of Gertrud Svensdotter, a girl from 1667 who was accused of witchcraft, which caused mass hysteria and panic in the small community of Älvdalen. As was prevalent at the time, this superstitious moment was used to limit pagan tradition and impose restrictions on women’s freedom through the imposition of church and state rules governing the body and society at large. A cautionary tale, Gertrud’s persecution, and the subsequent sociological implications continue to haunt Swedish society today.
Having spent time with Maja in the making of Gertrud, I feel fortunate to have seen her process and commitment to the work manifest in such an exciting book and enduring tale. The images in the book feel haunted, and it is one of the finer releases of 2024. The story of Gertrud and others endure as they offer parallels to our moment in history. As a storyteller, Maja does an incredible job relating the historical to the contemporary moment.
