KRISTIAN EVJU
A R T I S T
Kristian Evju,
Interview with the Norwegian Embassy, 2021
““In a way, you could say that I paint historical fiction - based entirely on factual visual research - so I am naturally very interested in why we interpret the world as we do.””
Inaugural exhibition, KHÅK Kunsthall, Ålesund 2016
Machinations III (2019) 100 x 100 cm, pencil on paper
BIOGRAPHY
Kristian Evju was born in 1980 in Kongsberg, Norway. He studied painting and drawing at Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, and Chelsea College of Art, London from where he graduated in 2011.
Evju is best known for making enigmatic and unpredictable graphite drawings and paintings based on project-specific historical archives. He was awarded the Figurative Art Prize by the Federation of British Artists in 2021, the Conté à Paris Drawing Prize at Griffin Gallery and the Painter-Stainers Prize for Drawing in 2016, and he represented Britain in the Prix Canson Works on Paper in 2015. Evju was also awarded the Debutante Award at the National Annual Autumn Exhibition of the Arts in Oslo, first prize at Juvenarte, and he won NorskArt as a student in 2007.
His work has been featured in numerous printed and online publications, including Nu-Mode Magazine (New York), The Times (London), The Scotsman (Edinburgh), The Friday Times of Pakistan (Lahore), Norwegian Financial Times (Oslo), Beautiful Bizarre Magazine (online), Widewalls (online), Empty Kingdom (online) and The Artist Magazine (UK).
Evju has been exhibiting and lecturing in Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Norway, USA and UK. Solo exhibitions include Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh (2018), Venet-Haus Galerie, Neu-Ulm (2017, 2014), Galleri Semmingsen, Oslo (2017), Telemarksgalleriet/Lysbuen Museum of Art, Notodden (2015), KHÅK Kunsthall, Ålesund (2015), and Gallery 39K, Lahore (2013). He was represented at the 7th Drawing Biennale, Eislingen (2016), and he published the book Fingerpflanzen in collaboration with EU Literature Prize (2012) winner Anna Kim at Topalian & Milani (2017).
“Pivotal historical moments are given new twists by how Kristian chooses to paint the more peripheral individual in his photographic references. By re-contextualising them, the constellations he constructs elicits wonder and fascination.”
Lars Elton, Art Critic, Dagsavisen (2017)
Moments in Time
A film about Evju’s practice by The Film Yard Ltd, 2022
Watch the trailer here or the full length film via the button below (18 minutes).