Kai Fjell
Encyclopedia
Kai Breder Fjell (ˈkaɪ ˈfjɛl, March 2, 1907–January 10, 1989) was a Norwegian
painter
, printmaker and scenographer
.
near Drammen
, Norway
. His father was the farmer and painter Conrad Bendiks Fjeld.
Kai Fjell became a pupil of Carl von Hanno
in Oslo in 1926. A year later, he enrolled at the State's School of Art and Design of Oslo, where his main teachers were August Eiebakke and from 1929 Olaf Willums. Fjell married Ingeborg Helene Holt in 1931.
His debut exhibition in Oslo Art Society in 1932 was largely unsuccessful.
Kai Fjell early developed an ornamental expressionism
. His pictures are heavily influenced by rural life and traditional Norwegian folk art
.
Fjell achieved immediate success with his exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus (The Artists' House) in 1937, where all the exhibited paintings were sold.
Fjell's early paintings are dominated by dark and earthy hues and often has grotesque motifs (titles include The Violent Man, The Self-killer, The Hearse). His later works are significantly brighter, more daring in their use of colour, and tranquil in mood. Throughout his long career, the female figure and various fertility-symbols are recurring motifs in Fjell's pictures.
Kai Fjell died in his home at Lysaker
near Oslo
. He was active as a painter until the end of his life.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, printmaker and scenographer
Scenographer
A scenographer develops the appearance of a stage design, a TV or movie set, a gaming environment, a trade fair exhibition design or a museum experience exhibition design. The term originated in theater...
.
Biography
Fjell was born on a farm in the village SkogerSkoger
Skoger is a village located on the border between Buskerud and Vestfold counties, Norway. Of its population of 1,082 as of 2005, 654 were registered as residents of Drammen whereas 428 live in Sande in Vestfold county, Norway....
near Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. His father was the farmer and painter Conrad Bendiks Fjeld.
Kai Fjell became a pupil of Carl von Hanno
Carl von Hanno
Carl von Hanno was a Norwegian painter.Hanno's early style was influenced by cubism, and politically motivated. He later developed a personal, colourful style, often portraying seascapes....
in Oslo in 1926. A year later, he enrolled at the State's School of Art and Design of Oslo, where his main teachers were August Eiebakke and from 1929 Olaf Willums. Fjell married Ingeborg Helene Holt in 1931.
His debut exhibition in Oslo Art Society in 1932 was largely unsuccessful.
Kai Fjell early developed an ornamental expressionism
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
. His pictures are heavily influenced by rural life and traditional Norwegian folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
.
Fjell achieved immediate success with his exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus (The Artists' House) in 1937, where all the exhibited paintings were sold.
Fjell's early paintings are dominated by dark and earthy hues and often has grotesque motifs (titles include The Violent Man, The Self-killer, The Hearse). His later works are significantly brighter, more daring in their use of colour, and tranquil in mood. Throughout his long career, the female figure and various fertility-symbols are recurring motifs in Fjell's pictures.
Kai Fjell died in his home at Lysaker
Lysaker
Lysaker is a section of and a postal code area of the Norwegian municipality of Bærum, just west of Oslo.Geographically, it is bordered by Lysakerelven on the east, which also forms the border to Oslo; Fornebu to the south; Stabekk to the west; and Jar to the north...
near Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. He was active as a painter until the end of his life.
List of major works
- 1937 — The Calf Rises
- 1940 — Reading Woman
- 1942 — The Widow
- 1947 — The Violin
- 1952 — Adorning The Bride
- 1970 — Self Portrait