Svein Koningen

I, Svein Koningen, was born in Trondheim, Norway where my mother and I lived for the first six months of my life. We joined my Dad in Amsterdam living around the corner from the Rijksmuseum and the famous Albert Cuyp straat market. My first big art exposure was Rembrandt’s Night Watch. My uncle was an expert boat craftsman building the Mediterranean Riva boats and my dad was a metal artisan. My family moved to Australia for three years but ended up staying with many trips back to Amsterdam and Norway. I studied arts and design but didn’t quite complete my course – being an arrogant young man I wanted everything modern which did end well with my lecturers and myself parting ways.

I have always had great respect Willem de Kooning – his absolute dedication and fortitude creating stunning abstract paintings. Gerhardt Richter has influenced my work from around 2000 - 2008. I was fortunate to visit his 2005 respective in Dusseldorf - a completely awe inspiring experience.

More recently having the privilege to visit GOMA Brisbane exhibition of Richter’s deeply moving four large works of Birkenau, the death facility of Auschwitz, painted from photos he had had for many years. Was difficult to leave the room!

Mark Rothko work is so pure… the most beautiful colour work. His life story, his devotion to each particle of paint created the most stunning colour works in history in my opinion.

Somewhere sometime there has been an experience that then comes out on canvas. The canvas becomes a story with the subconscious doing the creating. Sometimes it comes from a simple cow in a lonely paddock or a harsh landscape. I want to convey a sense of balance and harmony with colour and texture.

I have moved through many different changes in my work. Moving overseas to Belgium was a huge change which gave me new experiences and new styles emerged from this time. One of my favourites being the “Nature or Wilderness series” inspired by the stark summer in Provence, France colours. The light on everything from dawn to nightfall is magic.

I work with all mediums but acrylics have allowed me to produce paintings that are very textural with thick paint which doesn’t take long to dry. The speed of drying also makes me more spontaneous which helps reduce over working. Currently I am working on a portrait with oils which is a nice change.

I have occasionally worked with galleries around the world although I mostly sell through my own ‘living studio gallery’. I have had studios at various locations both in Australia and overseas, but now mostly sell online.

With art sales being my only source of income ,the slow sales of galleries, ie. being one artist of maybe 50 artists, then the 50% commission which is well earned with a great gallery, but would not give me the income from my own art business. I am happy to work independently with my wife being my manager.