Unni Askeland is the enfant terrible of the contemporary, norwegian art; shocking the politically correct establishment nor merly with her works, but also with her- sometimes bohemian, sometimes glamorous lifestyle.
Unni Askeland was born in Bergen in 1962. After a year in the Art School in Kabelvåg, Askeland started at the Academy of Western Norway, Bergen (1983-84). In 1987 she entered the National Academy of Fine Arts where she graduated in 1992.
At the Academy's Graduate Exhibition Askeland showed Waiting for Picasso, a painting depicting herself in the company of artists such as Edvard Munch, Frida Kahlo, Lena Cronquist and Francesco Clemente. Apart from the obvious lack of modesty the picture could also be read as a manifesto of her artistic ideals. Staging her own persona in her own works and within the art historical tradition has ever since been a central element in Askeland's ouevre, as seen in the Munch Adoption Project. Furthermore, the artist here demonstrate an awareness of her belonging to the expressionist tradition. Expressionist ideals dealing with personal, often erotic, experience, are present in most of her works. The 1980s saw a revival of these ideas with the so-called Neo-Expressionist movement. For Askeland's visits to New York studios of Brice Marden and Francesco Clemente were crucial to this developement.
With the Obituaries Project around 2000, the artist turned from figurative to abstract painting. The project dealt with death, and the paintings had the shape of coffins, painted in subtle blue and violet hues. After a few years of abstract expressionist paintings, the artist once again turned to figurative painting and to art historical ideals. Munch Adoptions (2004) was a series of paraphrases of Edvard Munchs famous "soul paintings" from the 1890s.
Meddling with the nations master caused something of a scandal in the norwegian milieu. However, Askeland's pictures were not copies, but reinterpretations of Munch's themes, such as love, sex and agony.
With the series Desire and Destruction and Big Blonde - the latter shown in New York in 2006 - Askeland depicted the icons of the 20th century, paraphrasing well-known portraits. Among femme fatals such as Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, and Courtny Love, one also found, once again, the artist herself. Both in theme and style, these projects were obvious reference to the Pop art of Andy Warhol, demonstrating the artists affinity to the American tradition. the technique was photo-based serigraphy.
The exhibition A Lot of Water Under the Bridge (2008) featured images inspired by the famous movie Casablanca, among others love scenes with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. When a series from this was acquired by the National Museum of Art in Oslo, it stirred a new debate, not only about the artist, but also about the museum.
Written by Knut Ljøgodt
CV
Education:
1991-1992 The National Academy of Fine Arts, Master class, Oslo, Norway
1987-1991 The National Academy of Fine Arts, Oslo, Norway
1984-1985 The National Academy of Fine Arts, Bergen, Norway
1983-1984 Academy of Fine Arts, Kabelvåg, Norway
Solo exhibitions:
2024 Kulturhus Fredheim, Tangen, Norway
2024 Ullersmovegen 2, Gyldenpris Kunsthall, Bergen, Norway
2023 Ullersmovegen 2, Runkgrottan, Oslo, Norway
2023 FLYTT DEG…, Lillestrøm Kunstforening, Lillestrøm, Norway
2023 det DU ikke ser, Maerz Contemporary, Molde, Norway
2023 Finnskogutstillingen, Røgden Brug, Finnskogen, Norway
2022 Failure - kortfilm, Runkgrottan, Oslo, Norway
2022 Kjærlighet, sex og vantro, Langesund, Norway
2022 Markens Grøde, Hamsunsenteret, Hamarøy, Norway
2021 JA!, Gulden Kunstverk, Norway
2019 Nordiske Ikoner, Foreningen Norden, Grand Hotel Oslo, Norway
2019 for ever green, Gallery Soon, Son, Norway
2018 jeg vil ikke dø, Galleri A, Oslo, Norway
2018 Selected works 2003-2018, Langesund, Norway
2017 Selected works 2003-2017, Odda Litteratursymposium, Odda, Norway
2017 Selected works 2003-2017, Wrightegaarden, Langesund, Norway
2017 Selected works 2003-2017, Admini, Rjukan, Norway
2017 SNAPSHOTS, Galleri BKD, Tønsberg, Norway
2017 er jeg fin nok for deg, Galleri Fineart, Oslo, Norway
2014 Ski Kunstforening, Norway
2013 De ensomme – Munchadopsjoner, Galleri Fineart, Oslo, Norway
2013 Hamar kunstforening, Hamar, Norway
2013 Festivalkunstner Bodø Jazz Open, Galleri Bodøgaard, Norway
2013 Bohem og kunstner, Sunndal Kunstlag, Norway
2012 Memories & other narratives, Larvik Kunstforening, Larvik, Norway
2011 AU, w/Ari Behn, Galleri Fineart, Oslo, Norway
2011 BIG BIG BIG, Galleri Fineart, Oslo, Norway
2010 Close to greatness, Heiberg Cummings & T. Meeker Contemporary Art, NYC, USA
2009 Munchadopsjoner for Munchjubileet, Nicolines Hus, Kragerø, Norway
2009 Friezed II, Galleri Gathe, Bergen, Norway
2008 A lot of water under the bridge, Galleri Trafo, Asker, Norway
2008 Directors, actors, players and millionaires (m/Bjarne Melgaard), Arena Vestfossen, Norway
2008 Friezed, Heiberg Cummings & T. Meeker Contemporary Art, NYC, USA
2007 Selected works, Hå gamle prestegård, Rogaland, Norway
2006 Desire and Destruction, Blomqvist Kunsthandel, Oslo, Norway
2006 Big Blonde, Heiberg Cummings & T. Meeker Contemporary Art, NYC, USA
2006 Stills, 7011, Trondheim, Norway
2005 Munch Adoptions, Art Singel 100, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2004 Munch Adoptions, Blomqvist Kunsthandel, Oslo, Norway
2003 Munch Adoptions, Gothenburg, Sweden
2002 Love me only love me lonely, Bergen Kunstforening, Bergen, Norway
2001 No. 5, Bergen Kunstforening (w/Sverre K. Bjertnæs), Bergen, Norway
2001 Cover Up, Galleri Christian Dam, Oslo, Norway
1999 NAF, Oslo (w/Bjarne Melgaard), Norway
Procurements:
2011 Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway, private collection
2008 The Norwegian National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
2008 The Municipality of Ullensaker, Norway
2011 Olavsgaard Hotel, Skedsmo, Norway
2005 Rogaland Art Museum, Norway
2004 The Art Museum of Northern Norway
2001 Nordea Corporate Art Collection, Norway
2001 Arts Council Norway
Group Exhibitions:
2023 Jubileumsutstilling, Ullensaker Kunstforening, Jessheim, Norway
2021 Selected works 1984-2021, Kulturhuset Bergen, Norway
2017 Selected works, Hydrogenfabrikken, Fredrikstad, Norway
2017 Her Majesty Queen Sonja’s Jubilee Collection, The Royal Palace, Oslo, Norway
2017 Women in Art for Peace, International Peace Institute, Manama, Bahrain
2016 Intimitet, Mohn kunsthandel, Bergen, Norway
2015 Gud så deilig (w/Ari Behn), Galleri Svae, Gjøvik, Norway
2014 Påskeutstilling, Dr Holms Hotel, Geilo, Norway
2013 Møte. Edvard Munch – Unni Askeland, Gallery of Telemark, Norway
2012 LoveArt Expo, Monaco / Cap d’Ail
2012 After Munch, Art Eco Gallery, London, UK
2012 Bob Walkenhorst and Unni Askeland, Brekstad kulturfestival, Galleri Hans, Norway
2012 Tommy Olsson vs Unni Askeland – Battle 08, Pink Cube, Oslo, Norway
2012 Il- Loggia National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta
2010 Sammen, Blaafarveværket, Modum, Norway
2009 Hamsunfantasier, Rådhusgalleriet, Oslo, Norway
2009 Hamsunfantasier, Trondheim Art Museum, Norway
2008 Clusters, Nordea Corporate Collection, Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter, Norway
2007 Norske Bilder, Oslo City Hall, Norway
2005 Reunion, Vestfossen, Norway
2005 18 at 27, Gallri 27, Oslo, Norway
2004 Sex and Flowers, HotRod, Oslo, Norway
2004 Pin-up, HotRod, Oslo, Norway
2004 Malernes tegninger, Blomqvist Kunsthandel, Oslo, Norway
2003 Trondheim Art Museum
2003 Tre unge normænd (w/Morten Viskum and Sverre K. Njertnæs), Galleri Christian Dam,
Copenhagen, Denmark
2001 Schpaa, Bergen Kunstforening, Norway
2001 Ideologia, Nordic biennale, Gothenburg, Sweden
2001 Norske Bilder, Oslo, Norway
2001 No. 5, Bergen Kunstforening, Norway
2000 Tendencies, Galleri JMS, Oslo, Norway
2000 Nekrologer (w/Morten Viskum and Sverre K. Bjertnæs), Drammen Museum, Norway
2000 Schpaa, Den frie Udstilling, Copenhagen, Denmark
1992 The refuseds exhibition, Oslo, Norway
1991 Gallery F15, Jeløya, Moss, Norway
1987 Østlandsutstillingen, Norway