Iris Smeds
Culture / Society

Iris Smeds: From high school drop out to daring performance artist

By Saskia Neuman

Photo: Lisabi Fridell

The fearless artist discusses her journey thus far, a major new film project and how her new family has changed everything

Iris Smeds dropped out of high school at 16, determined to become an artist. Perhaps unsurprisingly given her inexperience at the time - and despite both of her parents working in theatre - a career in the arts didn't happen overnight. Instead, she says, she spent the next few years in Stockholm "working at a coffeeshop, writing poetry and loitering around."

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Things may have gotten off to a slow start, but today Smeds is one of the most exciting artists in Sweden. Her work around identity, often involving video art and bold performance pieces such as her one-woman punk band project Vaska Fimpen, has audiences across the globe paying attention.