Kjell Folkvord: Vulnerable to impressions

By Eva-Kristin U. Pedersen | Photos: Kjell Folkvord

Norwegian painter Kjell Folkvord reflects on how the ongoing wars and volatile world situation have found their way onto some of his canvasses.

“As an artist, you are vulnerable to all sorts of impressions,” Kjell Folkvord explains. Folkvord, who lives and works in London, says that in particular the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have affected his work, though he stresses that might not be immediately visible to the audience. “I’m an expressionist. There are no corpses lying around, only perhaps more tension in the colour and more intensity in the shapes,” he explains.

Kjell Folkvord: Vulnerable to impressions

Death of Isolde – 2019 – 90 x 120 x 4 cm.

It’s not primarily politics that influences his art, so does nature and above all, music. “Music is abstract, so for an abstract painter, it’s a perfect source of inspiration,” Folkvord stresses. Not surprisingly, given the importance of music to his work, one of Folkvord’s paintings was recently chosen for an online exhibition organised by Rise Art; The Sound of Form.

Even though Folkvord is firmly established in London, where he lives with his wife Ruth, he maintains close ties to Norway. Before the pandemic, he had a solo exhibition at Bryne. “I moved to London as an adult, so the Norwegian identity was already firmly established. Living and working in London means exposure to and confrontation with a much larger world,” he explains.

Every Picture Tells a Story – 2023 – 70 x 100 x 4 cm. Inspired by the artist’s concerns about the current world situation.

Important to be true to himself

While living in London might be inspiring, being an abstract painter is not easy. Folkvord explains that people are often reluctant to engage with abstract art, possibly thinking they might not understand it.

“It’s not about understanding the original idea; it’s about adding your own meaning to what you see,” he explains. And, meaning isn’t necessary. It is enough to enjoy the colours, shapes and textures. “To know that I was painting my impressions of a piece of music, for example, isn’t necessary to enjoy the painting,” he states.

“To me, the title is the part of a painting’s identity. It ties the painting to my original idea. But to my clients, it may not be important and they can give the painting their own title if they want to,” Folkvord says, smiling. What is important to him is to be true to himself. “When I stand in front of the canvas, I don’t consider what the audience will say but only try to be true to own my feelings,” he stresses.