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About the Artist

23 Saturday Nov 2024

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Artist Bio:

Jan Terje Rafdal B. 1974 Education
1996-99: Ba (Hons) Bath Spa University College. UK 1994-96: Visual Communication. Vk 1 & 2 Garnes Vgs. Norway 1993: Foundation Course. Drawing. Garnes Vgs. Norway

Selected Solo exhibitions:
2024: Galleri Hantho, Haugesund.
2024: Retroperspektiv utstilling. Dahl Rammeservice, Haugesund.
2023: “Inn i den Stille Natt” Galleri Giga, Leirvik.
2023: “Felix Fiigenschou X” Karmøy Kunstforening. Kopervik.
2023: “Felix Fiigenschou IX” Sunnfjord Kunstlag. Førde.
2021: “Felix Fiigenschou VIII”. Galleri EKG. Hamar.
2020: “Den Store Stillheten” Haugesund Kunstforening/Hauges. Billedgalleri.
2019: Galleri Giga, Stord.
2019: Galleri G, Sandnes.
2018: Galleri Hagalid, Ryfylke
2017: Galleri G, Sandnes.
2017: Røldalsterrassen, Røldal.
2017: Bryne Kunstforening.
2016: Galleri Allmenningen.
2016: Galleri Art Veritas, Gothenburg.
2016: Galleri Giga, Stord.
2015: Samuelt Tveit-stiftelsen. Tinghaug. Sauda. 2014: Galleri Allmenningen, Bergen. 2014: Tysværtunet.
2013: Klepp Kunstforening. 2012: In Transit, Galleri Giga Stord. 2012: Felix Fiigenschou V, Halsnøy Kloster. 2011: “Felix Fiigenschou IV”. Galleri BI-Z, Kristiansand
2008: “Jurassic Coast”. Bryne Kunstforening. Bryne. 2008: “Felix Fiigenschou III”. Cooperhuset, Balestrand.
2007: “Felix Fiigenschou II”. Galleri Sult, Stavanger 2007. “Ancient Landscapes”. O! Space. Manhattan, NY 2006: “Botanika”. Black Swan Art Centre, Sommerset, UK
2006: “Jurassic Coast”. Tysværtunet.
2005: “Felix Fiigenschou I”. Haugesund Museum, Haugesund 2004: Galleri Siverts, Bergen 2003: Galleri Giga, Stord 2003: Galleri Adamstuen, Oslo 2003: Hillestad Galleri, Hillestad 2002: Rostra Gallery, Bath, England
2001: Bømlo Art Society, Mosterhavn
2001: Neo Galleri, Stavanger 2001: Galleri Adamstuen, Oslo 2000: Galleri Siverts, Bergen 1999. Galleri Hillestad, Aust Agder 1997: “Søm du vil”. Haugesund 1996: Onarheim Gård, Husnes 1995: Fjordform, Åpnings utstilling Etne 1992: Sæbøtunet, Etne 1989: Galleri Casiopeia, Ølen

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2024: Oud, Haugesund
2024: Karmøyutstillinga.
2024: Haugesund Kunstforening sin Høstsalong.
2023: “Felix Fiigenschou X” Karmøy Kunstforening. Kopervik.
2023: “Felix Fiigenschou IX” Sunnfjord Kunstlag. Førde.
2022: Karmsundutstilinga. Haugesund.
2022: Haugesund Junstforening sin Høstsalong.
2021: Haugesund Junstforening sin Høstsalong.
2020: Karmsundutstilinga. Haugesund.
2019: “Axiom Mnemosyne” Galleri EKG, Hamar.
2018: De Wijde Stilte; Drie Bijzondere Collecties in Beeld II.
Marie Tak Van Portvliet Musem Domburg. Netherlands.
2017: Haugesund Kunstforening.
2016: Haugesund Kunstforening.
2016: Hovudustillar Karmsundutstillinga, Haugesund.
2016: Sommerutstilling Lavetthuset Hovedøya, Oslo.
2015: Galleri Art Verita, Gothenburg.
2015: Tour des Fjord. Galleri Giga, Stord.
2013: “2113” Haugesund Kunstforening. (Haugesund Art Museum).
2012: Karmsundutstillinga.
2011: Skårutstillinga.
2010: Galleri Voss.
2009: “Imaginalis”. Chelsea Art Museum. Manhattan, NY 2008: Affordable Art Fair, Bristol. 2008: “Me” Haugesund Museum. 2007: Christmas exhibition, Haugesund Kunstforening. 2006: New Year exhibition, Malby Contemporary Art, Winchester 2005: Christmas exhibition, Haugesund Kunstforening. 2003: Christmas exhibition, Haugesund Kunstforening. 2001 “Skulptur 2001” Internasjonal Sculpture Symposium. Os 2001: Christmas exhibition, Haugesund Kunstforening. 2001: Christmas exhibition, Malby Contemporary Art, Winchester
2000: Tysværtunet Easter Exhibion 2000 Haugesund Kunstforening.. Christmas exhibition, Haugesund 2000: Karmøy kunstforening, Christmas exhibition, Karmøy 2000: Galleri Ryfylke. Juleutstilling. Sand 1999: Degree show ´99. Bath, England 1999: Peep show. Mall Galleri, England (London) 1999: Søm du vil. Haugesund 1998: Vindafjord kunstlag. Sandeid 1998: Galleri Ryfylke. Sand 1996: Søm du vil. Haugesund
Awards: 2022 Haugesund Sparebank’s Culture Award 2022. 2012: Grafill, Diploma for «Fiigenschous Kodeks» with “Work in Progress”.
2011: Gullsild for project Sildajazz 2011 with Ginungagap Design.


Public and corporate commissions:
2024: Viking Dagur. Two Paintings for Viking River Cruises.
2023: Stiftelsen Metodisthjemmet, Bergen.
2023: Gulating Lagmannsrett. The Courthouse in Bergen.
2022: Viking Neptune. Two paintings for Viking Cruises.
2020: Viking Octantis. Three paintings for the Explorer’s Lounge.
2019: Painting for oil platform Johan Sverdrup. Equinor.
2018: Etne Caresentre. Centre Piece for main reception.
2015: Tysvær Omsorgsenter.
2013: ConocoPhillips, Tannanger. 2013 “Skakke Senter for Skule, Idrett og Kultur”.
2013 “Juanita, Supply vessel – J.J. Uggland Companies/Salt Ship Design A/S.
2011: ConocoPhillips commemorating the event of the Eldfisk project.
2010: Sculpture. Etne Sparebank. 150th anniversary. 2009: Statoil. Hospital module on “Gjøa”. 2008 Barclay’ss Bank, Bournemouth. 2007 BNP Paribas. London branch. 2007 Eni. Forus, Norway 2005 Sculpture installation. “Millennium park of Sandeid city hall” 2005 Statoil, Huldra. Accommodation module. Works in public collections:
2018: Balestrand Kommune. Sogn og Fjordane.
2016: Havforskningsinstituttet. Scientific research ship ”Dr. Fridtjof Nansen”.
2016 “Nasjonalt Klageorgan for Helsetjenester”. Office in Bergen.
2014: The Norwegian prime minister’s office. Oslo.
2009. Hampshire County Council Contemporary Art Collection.
2005. City of Haugesund Museum Art Collection.
Publications:
2005: “Felix Fiigenschou”.
2007: “Felix Fiigenschou II”.
2012: “The Fiigenschou Codex”
2022: “Kattenes Kriminalprotokoll”. Kapabel Forlag.
2025: “Kattenes Kriminalprotokoll II”. Kapabel Forlag.

Working outdoors

27 Wednesday Apr 2022

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Spring is excellent for working outdoors. The sun speeds up the drying, and makes for perfect work light. I have been working on a few commissions for ICART lately, including a series of paintings for the Artic class 6 cruise ship Viking Octantis. At the moment I’m doing two new paintings for a new ship. I will come back to this in a future post.

As for now, less works are getting into my galleries, as they are mostly reserved. The outdoor option will hopefully speed things up and get more new canvases going.

Here are som pictures from the batch I’m currently working on. None of these are finished.

The impasse, and the unexpected help from nature’s randomness.

04 Sunday Jul 2021

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Sometimes I get into situations when a certain area seems impossible to resolve, even after several attempts. This problem might derive from a too limited scope of input. A restricted set of solutions are reserved for each individual type of area. Some very few examples being the sky and clouds, the bare fields of dry beige gras, the rocky patches, snow patches, and as in this instance: Ice drifting on water. For each type, there seem to be a protocol. A go to solution. Sometimes that falls short.

It works 95% of the time, so why not here? Is there another magic tool in toolbox?

Help might come from rather unexpected sources.

The granular surface was created by the instance of rain and the material sanded of the surface just prior.

I’m currently making a 130 x180 cm piece for a client. Now, the photo was taken by the commissioner himself, and it seemed a great starting point, however I did not take into consideration the vast area of water in the foreground. This turned out to be my achilleas this time. I planned to construct a pattern of ice to replace the non-event of the dark water of the original picture. 

I applied a series of layers, and this usually does the job. After a few rounds, I was at an impasse. I was surely going in circles. One layer after the other. More structures and even more icebergs on top. Too much space and no real dynamic.

As a last resort, I took the painting outside and gave it a heavy rub with sandpaper. This sort of «restart» sometimes gives me a better chance at starting fresh. The sanding created a lot of white and blue grains in the water, a somewhat milky touch. It was starting to look a bit more interesting, but “no sigar”.

Then I heard a faint thunder, shifting winds and at last heavy rains followed suit. In a split second I stopped myself from rescuing the painting into the studio. I simply let the rain hammer the surface for a short moment. Shortly, an amazing structure appeared in the milky white and blue. It was like I was saying: «Well, nature, I can’t resolve this, now you have a go». The randomness of nature can be great if harnessed and captured.

Refining and exploring.

05 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by in Behind the scenes, Paintings

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For the next two exhibitions I have been on an unusually tight schedule, thus having to make the production process as efficient as possible. Alas, no time for a range of new motifs and prototypes. There will hopefully be time for that later on this year.

2017-09-22 09.51.24.jpg

Outside my studio.

 

 

Nevertheless, experiments can also be focused on ground already covered. By taking up some of my most valued references, I was able to work towards an array of my best compositions so far, and bring them a notch furter.

2017-09-27 09.48.30.jpg

Thea giving the canvas a decent scrubbing. It’s hard work!

So, did this loop approach make any difference as to saving valuable time? I would say it probably did, although I find myself in a notorious habit of getting involved in some strange detail, effect or other aspect, only to see it it swiftly gone in a whim of sandpaper madness.

Like the nature I try to convey, it’s never predictable.

Haukeliseter 170x125

I simply love the way this one turned out. A slightly rougher approach. Perhaps this will be my  M.O. for the next series.