# Claes Hake

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{{Short description|Swedish sculptor (1945–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox artist
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| birth_date       = {{birth date|1945|2|7|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = [Mölndal](/source/M%C3%B6lndal), Sweden
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2025|10|16|1945|2|7|df=yes}}
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| education        = [Valand Art Academy](/source/HDK-Valand)
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| known_for        = Sculpting
| notable_works    = {{plainlist|
* {{Interlanguage link|Solringen|sv}} (1993)
* [1998 Gothenburg discotheque fire memorial](/source/1998_Gothenburg_discotheque_fire) (2008)
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'''Claes Hake''' (7 February 1945 – 16 October 2025) was a Swedish sculptor. He was known for monumental stone sculptures, which were displayed in public settings such as parks and train stations. Two of his most notable works are {{Interlanguage link|Solringen|sv}}, displayed at the [Gothenburg University Library](/source/Gothenburg_University_Library), and the memorial for the victims of the [1998 Gothenburg discotheque fire](/source/1998_Gothenburg_discotheque_fire). His sculptures have been displayed in Scandinavia, Germany, and the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tiberg |first=Cecilia |last2=Lundberg |first2=Rebecca |date=2025-10-16 |title=Konstnären Claes Hake är död |trans-title=Artist Claes Hake has died |url=https://www.svt.se/kultur/konstnaren-claes-hake-ar-dod |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[SVT Nyheter](/source/SVT_Nyheter) |language=sv}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Hake was born in [Mölndal](/source/M%C3%B6lndal) on 7 February 1945. He was [dyslexic](/source/dyslexic).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Callesson |first=Sofia |date=2016-03-20 |title=Han vill skapa livet ut |url=https://www.ttela.se/noje/han-vill-skapa-livet-ut.a5ce61ea-7601-4ff2-9bbc-5c41bdd4335b |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[TTELA](/source/TTELA) |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Soderholm |first=Carolina |date=8 June 2024 |title=RECENSION: Bilden av Hake både bekräftas och nyanseras |trans-title=REVIEW: The image of Hake is both confirmed and nuanced |url=https://www.nsk.se/kultur/bilden-av-hake-bade-bekraftas-och-nyanseras/ |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Norra Skåne](/source/Norra_Sk%C3%A5ne) |language=sv}}</ref> He was accepted to the [Valand Art Academy](/source/HDK-Valand) in 1963, at the age of 17.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1963-09-18 |title=Nya elever vid Valand |trans-title=New students at Valand |work=[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter) |pages=2}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> He received his master's degree at 22.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Andersson |first=Jan |date=2025-10-16 |title=Göteborgskonstnären Claes Hake är död |trans-title=Gothenburg artist Claes Hake has died |url=https://www.gp.se/kultur/goteborgskonstnaren-claes-hake-ar-dod.26139da7-f786-4390-af33-40bdf553a62c |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[Göteborgs-Posten](/source/G%C3%B6teborgs-Posten) |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bergström |first=Lotta |date=21 August 2008 |title=Hake i brons och järnoxid |trans-title=Hake in bronze and iron oxide |url=https://www.hn.se/noje/hake-i-brons-och-jarnoxid.f48ee9dd-78fe-4983-99c6-92da0f0a26cd |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Hallands Nyheter](/source/Hallands_Nyheter) |language=sv}}</ref> He was first interested in painting before sculpting.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
In the first ten years after graduating from Valand, he sold just three sculptures. He supported himself working as a [stagehand](/source/stagehand) at the [Gothenburg City Theatre](/source/Gothenburg_City_Theatre).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Törnqvist |first=Arne |date=1982-01-05 |title=Att måla i Göteborg är ett ensamt jobb |trans-title=Painting in Gothenburg is a lonely job |work=[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter) |pages=4}}</ref>

Hake's 1982 bronze sculpture ''Bohuslän'', usually displayed at [Gothenburg Central Station](/source/Gothenburg_Central_Station), was stolen in 1992. It was later recovered and donated to the city's cultural committee.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 April 1992 |title=Ett ton bronsskulptur stulen |trans-title=One-ton bronze sculpture stolen |url=https://www.dn.se/arkiv/inrikes/ett-ton-bronsskulptur-stulen/ |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter) |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=4 December 2008 |title=Skulptur doneras till Göteborg - P4 Göteborg |url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/2486285 |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Sveriges Radio](/source/Sveriges_Radio) |language=sv}}</ref> He sculpted {{Interlanguage link|Solringen|sv}}, which was installed in 1993 at the [Gothenburg University Library](/source/Gothenburg_University_Library).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Segraeus |first=Sara |date=2016-02-06 |title=Hake breddar bilden |trans-title=Hake broadens the picture |url=https://folkbladet.se/kultur/konst/artikel/hake-breddar-bilden/jdwpqg8r |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[Folkbladet](/source/Folkbladet) |language=sv}}</ref> His 1995 sculpture ''Arch'' is displayed in [Umedalen skulpturpark](/source/Umedalen_skulpturpark).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clas Hake – Umedalens Skulpturpark |url=https://umedalenskulptur.org/artworks-in-the-park/clas-hake/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250522071211/https://umedalenskulptur.org/artworks-in-the-park/clas-hake/ |archive-date=22 May 2025 |access-date=15 September 2025 |website=[Umedalen skulpturpark](/source/Umedalen_skulpturpark) |language=sv-SE}}</ref> He was awarded a ten-year fellowship from the Swedish Fine Arts Foundation in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 March 1997 |title=22 nya långtidsstipendiater |trans-title=22 new long-term scholarship recipients |url=https://www.dn.se/arkiv/teater/22-nya-langtidsstipendiater/ |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter) |language=sv}}</ref>

With fellow sculptors {{Interlanguage link|Pål Svensson|sv}} and {{Interlanguage link|Kent Karlsson (sculptor)|lt=Kent Karlsson|sv|Kent Karlsson (konstnär)}}, he had a group showing in Gothenburg in 2005.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Benkel |first=Ulf |date=2005-08-29 |title=Tror stenhårt på konsten |url=https://www.gp.se/kultur/tror-stenhart-pa-konsten.ce94441e-55bc-4f32-b312-d1d0a8e00997 |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[Göteborgs-Posten](/source/G%C3%B6teborgs-Posten) |language=sv}}</ref>

He designed the memorial for the victims of the [1998 Gothenburg discotheque fire](/source/1998_Gothenburg_discotheque_fire). The names of the 62 victims were engraved on a slab of polished blue granite, measuring {{Convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and {{Convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} high.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandberg |first=Peter |date=29 October 2008 |title=Minnesmärke för brandoffren avtäcktes |trans-title=Memorial for fire victims unveiled |url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/minnesmarke-for-brandoffren-avtacktes/ |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter) |language=sv |issn=1101-2447}}</ref> The memorial was unveiled in 2008, on the tenth anniversary of the fire.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Eriksson |first=Annika H |date=30 October 2008 |title=Stämningsfull minnesceremoni - Ekot |trans-title=Atmospheric memorial ceremony - Ekot |url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/2409529 |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Sveriges Radio](/source/Sveriges_Radio) |language=sv}}</ref>

His 2020 solo exhibition at the {{Interlanguage link|Wetterling Gallery|sv}} received praise from {{Interlanguage link|Birgitta Rubin|sv}} in ''[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter)''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rubin |first=Birgitta |date=25 November 2020 |title=Claes Hakes konst har styrka och schvung |trans-title=Claes Hake's art has strength and drive |url=https://www.dn.se/kultur/claes-hakes-konst-har-styrka-och-schvung/ |access-date=15 September 2025 |work=[Dagens Nyheter](/source/Dagens_Nyheter) |language=sv}}</ref> In 2024, many of his works (made between 1962 and 2024) were exhibited in a career retrospective at the [Nordic Watercolour Museum](/source/Nordic_Watercolour_Museum) in [Tjörn](/source/Tj%C3%B6rn). The exhibit was acclaimed by Boel Ulfsdotter in ''[Göteborgs-Posten](/source/G%C3%B6teborgs-Posten)''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ulfsdotter |first=Boel |date=2025-02-18 |title=Recension: ”Jag drabbas omedelbart att kraften hos Claes Hake”, skriver Boel Ulfsdotter. |trans-title=Review: “I am immediately struck by the power of Claes Hake,” writes Boel Ulfsdotter. |url=https://www.gp.se/kultur/konst/claes-hake-utstallningen-ar-inget-mindre-an-en-fest.27bbad09-4b2c-4087-83fb-4fcc4abef87d |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[Göteborgs-Posten](/source/G%C3%B6teborgs-Posten) |language=sv}}</ref>

He exhibited ''Döskallar och Dönickar'', containing 70 bronze sculptures, at Galleri Thomassen from 13 September to 5 October 2025. Hake was seriously ill at the time of the show, and Karin Frid of ''Göteborgs-Posten'' characterised the exhibit as a "chance to say goodbye."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frid |first=Karin |date=2025-09-13 |title=Recension: Det är känslosamt att möta Claes Hakes filurer |trans-title=Review: It is emotional to encounter Claes Hake's characters |url=https://www.gp.se/kultur/konst/konst-doskallar-och-donickar-av-claes-hake-pa-galleri-thomassen-.69d1ac1b-f034-4b26-8165-5914a1e008c6 |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[Göteborgs-Posten](/source/G%C3%B6teborgs-Posten) |language=sv}}</ref>

== Death ==
Hake died on 16 October 2025, at the age of 80.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thordén |first=Edvard |date=2025-10-16 |title=Claes Hake fick betraktaren att känna både vördnad och litenhet |trans-title=Claes Hake made the viewer feel both awe and humility |url=https://www.gp.se/kultur/claes-hake-fick-betraktaren-att-kanna-bade-vordnad-och-litenhet.a5392523-2701-4d20-affb-b947ec121d6c |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=[Göteborgs-Posten](/source/G%C3%B6teborgs-Posten) |language=sv}}</ref> 

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name| 9704321}}

{{authority control}}
{{Commons category|Claes Hake}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hake, Claes}}
Category:1945 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:Swedish male sculptors
Category:People from Mölndal
Category:Artists from Västra Götaland County
Category:20th-century Swedish sculptors
Category:21st-century Swedish sculptors
Category:People with dyslexia

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Claes Hake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Hake) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Hake?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.