Steinar Elstrøm
Malerier og tegninger (Paintings and drawings)
Kabinettet (The Cabinet)
11.01.24 – 18.02.24

Steinar Elstrøm presents a selection of paintings and drawings, all created in 2023. The seemingly unrelated works are the result of a series of impulses. After completion, each work is framed, packed, and stored, preventing the artist from evaluating the works in relation to one another or their collective impact. This approach stems from the desire to create each work in isolation, centring on the distinctive inherent unity of the work, without adhering to a shared aesthetic standard. Ideally, the works branch out in various directions. Often originating from visions that have been quickly sketched out, the works are executed through laborious and fumbling processes of trial and error. There is a hope that something unexpected might occur, emerging as the element of chance allows the unknown to surface.

Steinar Elstrøm (b. 1955) received his education from the National College of Art and Design (1978–1980) and the National Academy of Fine Arts (1980–1984) in Oslo. He served as a lecturer at the Department of Colour until its closure in 2005, and was involved in group critiques, drawing courses, and students supervision at the National Academy of the Arts from 1990 until 2022. Elstrøm has participated in major group exhibitions at various museums and galleries, showcased his work at Lhasa University in Tibet (2004), and held several solo presentations in Norwegian galleries, including multiple times at Kunstnerforbundet, with his most recent display in 2013. He has completed a number of public art commissions, and his works have been acquired by both private and public collections, such as the National Museum, KODE, and Storebrand.