School of Creative
Industries
Joakim Smidhagen

Joakim Smidhagen

MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice

Joakim is a Swedish photographer, visual artist, art teacher and business owner who has been based in Singapore for the past 15 years. He has spent more than three decades creating and developing his art form. His black and white photography focuses mainly on architecture and nature, utilising the Hasselblad brand to capture wonderful photos that have been showcased in exhibitions in both Sweden and Singapore.

Beyond photography, he is also an accomplished fine artist, working in oil and acrylic to create strikingly beautiful pieces that explores sketching through the poetic silence of minimalism. As a teacher, he focuses on technical drawing skills and painting techniques, passing on his wealth of knowledge and experience to a new generation of aspiring artists.

Throughout his career, he has maintained a deep commitment to the arts, using his talents to create works that are both beautiful and thought-provoking. Whether behind the lens or in front of the canvas, his passion for creativity and drive to inspire others is at the heart of everything he does.

Work

Teaching philosophy and research interests

My teaching philosophy is founded on the idea that, with the correct encouragement and direction, all pupils are capable of becoming successful artists. I prioritise the development of technical abilities in drawing and painting while simultaneously taking into account each student's distinctive learning problems and needs.

Since I am personally interested in ADHD research, I am dedicated to providing a supportive environment that empowers students with attention deficits to succeed. I hope to help students to find their own distinctive artistic voices and pursue their aspirations by encouraging their curiosity, creativity and willingness to let go. Ultimately, I am dedicated to assisting my students in developing into proficient, self-assured artists who are equipped to make a difference, in a world where art has the growing potential to positively impact society.

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Thesis abstract

Stabilising paradoxes to better ground none-ness of ADHD in arts pedagogy

In this thesis, the embodiment of none-ness in ADHD is examined, along with the paradoxes of attention and time and term unfamiliarity. In my background study, I looked at the possibility that non-dominant hand use while producing art in places other than therapy can help creative adults with ADHD find peace, presence and a way to deal with paradoxes. This resulted in the invention of the concept of 'none-ness of ADHD', which I used to help my ADHD pupils achieve in order to generate a sense of absence of ADHD symptoms.

This notion made sense for adults, but when I tried to apply it to kids, unforeseen problems with focus and time arose, necessitating further investigation in the hopes of closing the gap and better grounding none-ness. Findings demonstrated that none-ness in arts pedagogy can be attained even for children without the use for therapy, although doing so calls for a somewhat different strategy than working with adults.

Work experience

2016 – present
Konditori Artisan Bakes
Business owner and creative director

2009 – present
Fika Swedish Cafe and Bistro
Business owner and creative director

1996 – present
jsmidhagen
Business owner and creative director

Oct 2008 – May 2010
SG Magazine
Senior graphic/web designer