Viktor & Vesterlund

About

An artist embodies a multi-faceted role - a visionary, a storyteller, a creator, a magician, a craftsman...an array of interchanging coats that in turn influence the trajectory of the artist's work. One could say that the paths crossed in life as well have an everlasting impact on one's creative output and character. In tandem - through sculpture, painting, and drawing, Erling Viktor's and Ole Vesterlund's lives and works are intertwined in full circle in the exhibition VIKTOR & VESTERLUND, telling a shared tale of kinship and Nordic craft.

Artist's Viktor and Vesterlund first met each other in Copenhagen in 1988 and sparked an instant platonic friendship. They often spent time together enjoying nature on the idyllic Danish Island of Bornholm - where Vesterlund was running a hotel with his friend. Later they discovered that they were both raised on farms in Jutland, Denmark - just 15 km apart. And so their uncanny bond grew stronger – both moving forward to study the arts at the Academy of Danish Design in Copenhagen.

Ole Vesterlund creates ceramic sculptures that are attracted by the ambiguous and abstract - the mysterious space in between the individual and the object where the meeting becomes inspiration, story, and a space for reflection. His work is often embedded by historical references, while his focus is on objects of imprints, carriers of culture, and identity.
Vesterlund's work subtly embraces the viewer while leaving space for personal reflection in the process. His works for the exhibition VIKTOR & VESTERLUND trace back to his origins in nature and form through construction, balance, and colour- while playfully showing a range of expressions and materiality- through various earthen materials.

Erling Viktor's work covers unrest, movement and change. The artist reflects on life and then seizes impulses from a general perspective which can be drawn from long-term, personal experiences. He searches endlessly for truth - whether in himself, or in the people around him. Naked and on this search, he uses art to dive into what is behind the clichés and the charming facades to reveal true colours. The artist's goal is to demonstrate deep and complicated feelings with authenticity and candor - posing obsolete and playful questions about these human exchanges through multiple mediums.
In his work for VIKTOR & VESTERLUND, Viktor turns the focus inside once again- cultivating the roots of his inherent bond to nature - harvesting wondrous creations of flora on paper and canvas. Reminiscent of his formative years in the nature of his homeland, Viktor's emotionally charged 'Garden Series' works for the exhibition are equal parts abstract, whimsical and virtuous.

After a spell of time apart, the artists are reuniting again through their work in the exhibition in the same spirit of love and knowledge of nature and focused craft education that first brought them together.