Bertil Vallien (b. 1938)

He was born in 1938, in the small suburb of Sollentuna, to the north of Stockholm. After finishing elementary schooling, Bertil worked for a while as an apprentice in his father's decorating firm; until, one day, a need to express his artistic leaning found an outlet in covering the un-papered walls with drawings; when it was discovered that his figures showed through the wallpaper, he was sacked! Later, however, a schoolteacher, who also ran a business-school, encouraged him to attend for half a year; and then he went on to Borgarskolan Polytechnic, where he did a commercial course. At the same time he worked as a window-dresser; and also attended evening classes in Life Drawing at the Konstfack ...